Lucas
by Thomas Mc
Summary: One of the many urban legends of Paris France in the year 2060 is the lion-man creature that haunts the River Seine at night and is said to protect true lovers that go there and bring woe upon any false lover that crosses his path.
1. The Lion Man

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><em>Authors Notes : <em>**_One of the many urban legends of Paris France in the year 2060 is L'homme-lion du Fleuve Seine, A lion-man like creature that haunts the River Seine at night and is said to protect the true lovers that go there and bring woe upon any false lover that has the misfortune to cross his path. This story is about the source of that urban legend._

**_Note:_**_ Since half of the dialog in this story is supposed to be French I have had to differentiate French and English dialog. Therefore the standard quote marks are for English and the '~(' and ')~' symbols represent a statement made in French._

**_Appreciation:_**_ I would also like to thank Claire G. for all her help in making the specifically French elements of this story as authentic as possible._

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><p><strong>The Lion-Man<strong>

**Spring 2060**

It was less than an hour after sunset as Lucas stood unseen in a shadowed alcove beside the River Seine and gazed up at the moon hovering beside the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. He loved this city. He loved the lights, the ambiance, the romance . . . particularly the romance. This was the city where the magic of love was a palpable presence. The River Seine was famous as a place for lovers to go for a romantic stroll along the water's edge (especially after the major renovations done to the river walk in 2044) and he often came here to take in the magnificent view and soak up the pleasantly warm emotions of the many anonymous lovers that crossed his path. It was so much like the emotions he often sensed from his parents. He often wondered if he would ever find a girl that would feel that way about him and wish to share his life. At present he could feel the emotions radiating from three young couples located nearby.

One of the couples was on a bench located directly across the river from his current position and so totally and deeply engrossed in each other that he could feel them from further away than normal. He could tell that there was some lustfully serious making out going on over there. The second couple was about thirty meters up river. Their emotions were much softer more gentle and warm than the couple across the river. Most certainly young lovers still feeling their way toward that brass ring that all new couples were reaching for. The third couple was about fifty meters in the opposite direction and they were slowly strolling toward his general location. They were apparently still in the getting to know each other, finding out if there was a connection state, each interested in the other and wondering if the interest was reciprocated. Each couple was unique and the combination of emotions made for a heady mixture in this romantic Parisian spring evening

He drew back deeper into the shadows as the strolling couple got closer. Though the hooded cloak he wore concealed his face from view he was still unwilling to show himself. If they caught sight of him they would have been terribly shocked, probably even frightened by what they saw. The fierce appearance of his leonine face and fangs; his fur covered clawed hands; his massive two meter plus frame; all combined to make for a frightening appearance to those who didn't know him. He was very unusual looking, but he was not ashamed of his differences, he was proud of what he was. His parent's had raised him to be that way. Though neither parent shared his leonine appearance, they had both conscientiously instilled in him both a caution about and a fierce pride in what he was.

In recent years he had unintentionally become one of the many urban legends of Paris. 'L'homme-lion des bords de Seine' {_The Lion-man of the River Seine_}, they called him. The way the newest legend went was that he haunted the banks of the River Seine watching, protectively, over the lovers that were often found along those banks. The same legend claimed that he would bring great woe to any false lover that crossed his path. Lucas smiled to himself, only a little over eighteen and a half years old and already a well known Parisian legend. He was amazed at the complex mythology that had sprung up around only a half-dozen incidents over the last four years.

The sound of a large object moving in the water drew his attention down river and he spotted a tour boat moving up the river. Knowing what to expect, Lucas stepped back even deeper within the darkened alcove. The boat's running lights suddenly went out and a couple of spotlights stabbed out from either side of the boat. The spotlights swept along both shorelines, one sweeping past his location while the other captured the passionate young lovers on the bench across the river for a few seconds in its beam. Then the beams of light moved on further up the river to capture another pair of lovers, that he had not been aware of, in its light. The 'Romantic' Dinner Cruise boat continued up the river and Lucas eased back out from behind the barrier at the edge of the alcove. Again he was gazing up at the full moon and the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower letting the emotional ambiance soak into his soul.

Lucas found his mind wandering over his life spent haunting the nights of Paris and the encounters that had spawned the legend he seemed to have become. He remembered one pair of young lovers that had been accosted by a pair of ruffians. He had rushed to their aid and, with a roar and the flash of sharp claws, he had chased the ruffians off. In the heat of the moment his hood had slipped back and the two rescued lovers had seen his face. At the sound of the young girl's gasp and the feel of her fright, he had turned away and run off. That had been a little over four years ago and was the beginning of the legend of 'L'homme-lion des bords de Seine' who watched over and protected young lovers.

It had been less than six months later that he had come across a couple sitting on a bench, the girl in tears and the boy nearly as miserable. He had started to turn away from them but something about them had stopped him. He had listened from the shadows and had quickly realized that they were breaking up. The emotions that he was sensing from them told him that neither one was happy about it. Neither one really wanted to break up but their pride would not let either one admit that to the other. Out of annoyance and frustration at both of their stubborn foolishness he had stepped out of the shadows and told them that they were both fools and if they let their stupid pride get the better of them then they deserved the unnecessary pain that they were causing each other. Even at fourteen, in his dark hooded cloak, he made a very imposing figure standing there, his face barely visible in the waning light. The couple was cornered by their fear and he intimidated them into answering his questions. With a few careful probing questions, he was able to get them to each admit that they were both still in love and neither really wanted to break up. He left them staring at each other in _surprised shock_ overlaid with a generous helping of _relief_ and _joy_. That had cemented the 'watching over the lovers' part of the legend.

The other half of the legend had grown from an incident that happened nearly a year later when a very unpleasant young man had just been caught on the river walk with another woman, by his wife of less than a year. Lucas had witnessed the altercation and, in a fit of anger over the crude tenor of both the young man's words and his emotions, had chased the faithless husband for over a kilometer before breaking off.

As Lucas stood there and contemplated his past, his thoughts drifted even further back to his youth. He had spent a large part of that youth exploring the famous catacombs deep beneath the city. He remembered the day he had explored deeper than ever before and stumbled across a small community of people occupying those deepest caverns beneath the city. It had taken nearly a month of tentative contact to get them to accept him. Now he would go down there at least once a month and bring them the necessities that they had difficulty supplying for themselves.

He was so deep within his own thoughts that he had not sensed the approaching presence that came up behind him. He was drawn, startled, out of his revere when he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder. With a rush of fear and surprise he spun around ready to bolt.

It was his sister Lucie, her eyes glinting in barely suppressed mischief. "Just wanted to see how you're doing." She cocked her head in inquiry then she continued in flawless French. ~( _You must have been very engrossed in your own thoughts not to have sensed my approach_. )~

With an exaggerated sigh of relief, Lucas smiled at her. Lucie was just a bit over a year younger than Lucas and she was every bit as incredibly beautiful as their semi-retired fashion model mother. He responded to her in equally flawless French. ~( _Are you meeting Jacques tonight?_ )~

She blushed nodding. ~( _Yes I am._ )~

Lucas chuckled. ~( _Be careful out there_. )~

She smiled, looking up into her big brother's very unique leonine face, and resumed speaking in perfect mid-western English again. "I'll be fine, Lucas. After all 'L'homme-lion de la Seine' is out tonight watching over the river." She grinned as she reached over to rest her hand on his shoulder then stretched up on her toes to give him a little peck on his fuzzy cheek.

Lucie pulled back and looked up and down the river walk then spotted Jacques approaching their location. She ran out to meet him. Lucas felt the flash of _excited young love_ as the two of them came together. They embraced, kissed, and then with arms around each other's waist, they strolled westward along the river away from the Eiffel Tower. Lucie was only seventeen but she was very self-possessed for her age and knew what she wanted. Jacques was a very steady and reliable nineteen. Lucas could sense his very real and strong _affection _and_ respect_ for Lucie. They had only known each other for a couple of months but the _love_ that had sprung between them was genuine and showed signs of growing into the long lasting 'forever after' kind. Lucas wondered though if that relationship would be able to survive Jacques introduction to her very unusual brother. Lucas knew that the thought did worry Lucie sometimes.

Lucie and Jacques had settled onto a bench about a hundred meters away when Lucas was distracted by a series of new and very discordant emotions coming from above and behind him. An altercation of some kind was taking place somewhere at the top of the river walk wall and he could sense _lust_, _aggression_, _anger_ and _disgust_ from the couple. He easily leaped to the top of the wall and looked toward the arguing couple.

The tall dark haired relatively handsome young boy grabbed at the smaller light brown haired girl. She swung out her arms and jerked herself out of his grip then slapped him. Lucas sensed an increase in the _aggression_ in the boy; from the girl came _surprise_, _loathing_ and the beginnings of a small amount of _fear_ as she tried to back away from him. Lucas took a step toward the couple ready to charge in to help when the boy, yelling with sudden rage, charged at the girl. She shifted slightly and threw him over her hip in some type of judo move that landed him hard on his back. He rolled over and jumped up almost immediately and charged her again. This time when she tried to throw him he countered her move and soon he had the girl pinned against the low stone wall. Lucas had now stepped out into the open with the intention of again jumping in to help the girl when she kneed the boy in the groin, hard. He cried out, doubled over then dropped down to his knees.

The girl slipped around the groaning boy and started to back away from him when she glanced over her shoulder, spotting Lucas before he could jump back into the shadows. After a moment of shock she exclaimed. ~( _Who are you!_ )~

The boy looked up at her exclamation, catching sight of the massive dark hooded figure standing close by, and cried out in fear mixed with pain. He struggled to his feet and staggered away as fast as he could, still clutching at his injured area.

~( _I am just a stranger, I mean you no harm._ )~ Lucas responded to the girl as he started to turn away. He could sense the usual familiar feelings running through the girl at the sound of his voice as he continued to speak. ~( _I can see that you have no need of my help . . . I should go._ )~

Drawn by the effect of the large stranger's voice on her, the girl took a step toward him. ~( _No, wait, please, stay for a moment._ )~

Lucas paused at her words then reluctantly turned back toward her. As he did so the light from one of the nearby street lamps momentarily penetrated the darkness under his hood and the girl caught a glimpse of his face. She took in a quick startled breath and her hand came up to her mouth as she took a quick step backward. There was _surprise_, _uncertainty_ and to a lesser extent _fear_ swirling through her. ~( _My God!_ )~ Lucas quickly turned completely away from her. After a short pause, she took a hesitant step toward him, her _fear_ warring with her _curiosity_, and inquired. ~( _You are the one they call the Lion-man of the River Seine, are you not?_ )~

He hesitated then turned halfway back toward her. ~( _Yes, I have been called by that name._ )~

She took another step toward him. He could feel both, _uncertainty_ and _curiosity_ in equal measure with just a hint of _fear_ coming from her now. ~( _Please, let me see you better._ )~

After a moment's hesitation Lucas turned fully toward her and paused. Then he reached up and drew back his hood.

She gasped and her emotions shift to_ disbelief_ and _surprise_ with a small remnant of _uncertainty_ ~( _You **are** real!_ )~

Lucas nodded his head. ~( _Yes, I am real_. )~

Lucas could tell by her emotions that beneath it all she was still pretty shaken up by her unpleasant encounter with that boy as well as her shock at his own appearance and a delayed reaction was starting to set in. Also the shaking of her hands, the racing of her heart and the way she was swaying on her feet made him think that she might be on the verge of passing out. He began to feel concerned. ~( _You are shaking. Are you alright?_ )~

She placed a hand against the low stone wall to steady herself as she stood there for a couple of seconds trying to regain her equilibrium. Finally, with a deep breath, she seemed to pull herself together. She was not entirely successful but she no longer appeared in danger of passing out. ~( _I will be alright_. )~ She stared into his face for several heartbeats then her eyes flicked down momentarily to his clawed hands. She took another deep breath then took another hesitant step toward him. Now they were standing less than three meters apart when she spoke again, the faint tremor of her voice still betraying the _uncertainty_ that he could still sense in her. ~( _Who are you? What are you? Do you have a name?_ )~

Lucas cocked his head and replied to her. ~( _My name is Lucas . . . and I am exactly what you see._ )~ He paused and gave her a half smile that did not expose his fangs. ~( _What is **your** name?_ )~

Despite the creature's fearsome appearance, it almost seemed natural to her to trust that very sexy voice, the way it made her feel all warm and tingly inside. She smiled shyly back at him and replied. ~( Monique. I am Monique LeBeau. )~

Lucas cocked his head to one side as though evaluating her response. She still was just a bit _nervous_ and a tiny bit _scared_ underneath. ~( _Are you sure that you are alright, Monique?_ )~

The way his voice caressed her name sent nearly erotic shivers up her spine and made her knees go rubbery. For a moment she wasn't sure she could remain standing.

Monique shook her head, in an attempt to clear it, then glanced in the direction that her supposed date had gone. ~( _I guess I am just a bit shaken-up and a little nervous about being out this late alone._ )~ She looked back into the face of the creature that called himself Lucas. She was finding it difficult to look away from that magnificently scary face.

Lucas glanced around scanning the area surrounding them for a moment then made a tentative suggestion. ~( _If you wish, I can escort you to a safe place where you can find help getting home. Or there is a Vélib' bicycle station just on the other side of the river._ )~

She blurted out. ~( _I ah . . . I live on this side of the river very close to here._ )~ She gulped, blinking and blushing at her own audacity. Had she really said that? She had stopped herself just short of inviting this creature to escort her home?

Lucas again half smiled as he gazed back at her, very attractive, face. He could feel her _uncertainty_ and _surprise_ and a hint of _embarrassment_. He refrained from approaching any closer but he held his clawed furry hand out to her as he revised his offer. ~( _I may not be your ideal escort but I can promise you that I will get you safely home if you will allow me to walk with you_. )~

Monique again glanced at the dangerous looking claws that he held out to her as she mulled over what he had just said. For some reason beyond her understanding she found herself strangely attracted to this fearsome lion-man. After a few second's hesitation she closed the gap between them and tentatively reached out to take the offered clawed hand. ~( _I think I would appreciate that._ )~ She dragged her gaze from his furry and clawed hand then shyly looked into his leonine face. ~( _And I really do not think you are so bad as an escort._ )~ She felt her face grow very hot as it turn very red at her temerity. At the same time she felt a shiver run up her spine at the feel of his furry hand. When his fingers gently closed around her hand she again felt a pleasant tingle run up her spine. She found herself wondering at the strange lack of fear that had grown to engulf her. She wondered if it was some magic in that irresistible voice of his?

Lucas felt a warm glow spread through him and his smile widened just a bit. Not only was she no longer afraid of him but she had also not found his touch to be the least bit unpleasant. When their hands had met, his sense of her had jumped tenfold. His empathic sense had always been greatly enhanced by physical contact. Finally he asked her. ~( _Which way?_ )~

Monique caught a glimpse of the tips of fangs when his smile had widened. She felt her certainties waver for a moment and glanced back down at their joined hands, again feeling that little thrill. She looked back up into his eyes, trying to ignore the tips of fangs that were still peeking out. ~( _The easiest way to reach my house from here is to take the river walk._ )~ Her eyes were drawn to his feline cleft lips and the fangs that still peeked out of them. Then up along his flat feline nose to his very expressive eyes.

Lucas nodded acknowledgement then turned and led her down some nearby stone stairs to the river walk. At the bottom they paused and she pointed along the river toward the west, away from the Eiffel Tower. They took off walking in that direction. As they continued toward where Monique had said her house was located, Lucas kept sneaking glances at her. She did not have the kind of drop dead gorgeous fashion model beauty that his sister and his mother could boast but she was very pretty, with a kind of wholesome girl next door look that he found very appealing. And from the emotions he was sensing in her, he could tell that she was feeling attracted to him. He could also sense a feeling of _puzzlement_ mixed in with the _attraction_ and reminded himself that a large part of that attraction was probably just a result of the effect of his voice. But still she was very pleasant to look at and her hand felt good held in his.

Monique kept glancing at the profile of her strange escort and wondering what it was about him that attracted her so. His lion's face and sharply clawed hands were indeed frightening yet she was not afraid of him. Of course that incredibly sexy voice of his seemed to have grabbed her heart and made her want to melt. She felt that if she hung around him too long her heart would be lost. How could something so un-human looking have such an effect on her? Then again, just how un-human was this creature that walked beside her and spoke in such a polite cultured way with that incredible voice?

Lucas was so engrossed in his companion that he failed to notice when they were passing near a couple that was leaning up against the wall deep in their own romantic encounter. Lucas looked up in surprise at the startled gasp from the young man to discover that the couple was Lucie and Jacques.

Jacques exclaimed in surprise as he was trying to nudge Lucie behind him. ~( _My god, it's the Lion-man!_ )~ He glanced at Lucie. ~( _Lucie, get out of here; I will try to hold it off._ )~ Jacques continued to try pushing Lucie behind him while standing his ground and facing the mysterious and dangerous looking creature.

Then Lucie exclaimed in shocked surprise. "Lucas?"

That was when Lucas realized that his hood was not up and Jacques could clearly see his face. He glanced from Jacques to Lucie then back at Jacques. It was too late to hide his face. After a second he replied in English. "I'm sorry, Lucie, I didn't mean to disturb you." He glanced at Monique then back at Lucie. "I was so engrossed that I wasn't paying attention."

"Just get out of here!" Lucie hissed at him as she started trying to pull Jacques away from where Lucas was standing. ~( _Come with me, Jacques. Let us get out of here._ )~

His swirling mind still locked on 'protect Lucie' mode, Jacques responded to her entreaty. ~( _No, I must stay here. I will not let him hurt you._ )~

Monique was observing the interaction with surprised interest mixed with a hint of confusion. She spoke excellent English and could easily understand what was being said between the other girl and Lucas. She began to wonder exactly what the relationship was between Lucas and the young woman.

Lucie continued to try pulling Jacques along with her. ~( _Do not be foolish, Jacques. He will not harm us._ )~

After several seconds of this strange tug-o-war, Jacques glanced back at his stubborn girlfriend in exasperation. Jacques finally took notice of Lucie's unusual reaction to the creature. He was trying to protect her from this creature, giving her a chance to get away, and she was resisting his efforts. ~( _How can you be so sure that we are safe? That creature looks dangerous._ )~

~( _Do you not know anything_? )~ Lucie gave out an exasperated sigh. ~( _Only false lovers need fear him_. )~

As they stared stubbornly at each other it was becoming obvious to Jacques that although Lucie was not happy about the lion-man's presence, she was not afraid of him. In fact he now realized that she seemed to know the creature. Jacques spoke very little English but he knew that Lucie had called the creature by name and he thought that it had sounded like the creature had apologized to her for something. Finally Jacques took hold of Lucie's upper arms and addressed her while keeping a wary eye on the creature. ~( _Lucie, what's going on here? Do you know this . . . creature?_ )~

Lucie gave up trying to pull Jacques away as a burst of _annoyance_ shot through her and she snapped at Jacques. ~( _Yes, I know him and he is **not** a creature; he is my half-brother. His name is Lucas._ )~

At this point Monique remarked to Lucas in surprise. ~( _She is your sister?_ )~

Simultaneously Jacques remarked to Lucie in surprise. ~( _He is your brother?_ )~

**__**Continued in Part 2**__**

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><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


	2. Intersections

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Intersections<strong>

Lucas looked at Monique a moment then shifted his feet a bit nervously as he looked back at Lucie. "I think that I should take Monique home now and let you talk to Jacques alone."

Lucie glanced at Jacques a moment, nodded her head, then looked back at Lucas. "You're probably right. Jacques and I really need to talk about this. It would have come up eventually." She glanced at Jacques again; who had dropped his hands from her arms, then sprinted over to Lucas and gave him a quick hug while speaking softly. "I'll see you later at home and you can tell me about your girlfriend." Then she ran back over and put her arms around an astonished Jacques. ~( _Jacques, we need to talk._ )~

Lucas pulled up his hood then turned and continued along the river bank; drawing a slightly nonplussed Monique along with him; and leaving an equally dumbfounded Jacques in the arms of his sister.

Monique walked along in a bit of a daze as she mulled over what she had just witnessed. After Lucas and Monique had walked along for a couple of minutes in silence, Monique finally recovered enough presence of mind to speak. "That girl back there said that you are her brother?"

Lucas glanced at Monique and smiled. "You speak very good English."

"I had a very good tutor and I like practicing with others that can speak it well." Monique stopped and pulled on his arm compelling him to turn and face her. "Your sister?"

"Half-sister." Lucas again smiled, giving Monique a glimpse of his fangs in the process. "We have the same mother. Lucie's father married my mother shortly before I was born and he is the one that raised both of us but my **biological** father lives in New York and is sometimes referred to there as the 'Creature of Central Park'." His grin widened causing his fangs to become more prominent. "And I seem to have acquired the title of the 'Lion-man of the River Seine'." He shrugged. "Despite our attempts to remain hidden, we both seem to have achieved urban legend status."

Monique furrowed her brow in thought then looked up into his face. "I have heard of him. My family lived for a couple of years in New York when I was younger. I even remember my father speculating about it and wondering if there was some unexplained basis for that particular story. He always believed that many persistent urban legends had their basis in some factual event that has been heavily distorted over time." Her brows furrowed as another thought occurred to her. "But that legend is supposed to go back almost a hundred years."

Lucas raised his eyebrows at this new revelation about Monique's past. He filed it away and continued his narrative with a shrug. "Actually my mother tells me that the New York legend is supposed to have originated with my biological great grandfather." He tilted his head and shrugged again.

After a few moments they both turned and continued to walk beside the river, a bit more slowly, toward Monique's home. As they strolled along side by side they both thought about the new things that they had learned about each other.

After a while Monique broke the silence again. "If you come from New York, how did you end up living in Paris?"

Lucas thought a moment about Monique's question. He remembered when he was younger asking his mother the same thing. "Strictly speaking I do not come from New York. That is only where I was conceived." He began telling her what his mother had told him. "I was born in Paris. Mother told me that within days after the only time they actually made love, she and my **biological** father finally accepted the fact that, despite their strong feelings for each other, they would never be truly right for each other." Lucas tilted his head and shrugged while giving a lopsided grin. "So they split up." He took several steps in silence then continued. "Mother and Father had known each other for years and she turned to him for solace after the split. With no one else in the picture to come between them, she and Father fell hard for each other." He paused a beat then continued. "Father claims that Mother fell hard because she was on the rebound and he fell because she needed him and he was already a bit sweet on her even before that. They were married a month and a half later and she moved here to Paris where Father lives."

Lucas paused in his narrative as they passed close by another couple then continued after they were out of earshot. "Mother realized that she was pregnant shortly after they were married. Mother and Father both suspected who the biological father had to be; Father actually met my biological father the same day that Mother met him and knew about Mother's relationship with him. Because of their suspicions they arranged that I would be delivered at home by a very highly paid private physician that they both knew and could trust to keep quiet about what might happen. Their guess about my conception was confirmed the first time they saw me the day I was born. Despite my origin and my appearance, Father accepted me and raised me as his own son." Lucas held up one furry and clawed hand. "Naturally, because of my rather unique physical appearance, it was completely impossible for me to travel away from Paris." He dropped his hand with a shrug. "As a result I have never been to New York and I have never met my biological father, though I know who he is and have exchanged messages with him."

As they continued to walk beside the river, Lucas found himself telling Monique a lot more about himself than he normally would have dared. He was quite attracted to her, and, because of his empathic sense of her, he just knew that he could trust her.

Monique was particularly surprised when Lucas told her that the parents that raised him were the well known team of fashion designer Pierre de la Becque and the fashion model Randy Weston of the premiere fashion house 'Pierre of Paris'. Monique's mother actually took pride in the fact that she owned several 'Pierre of Paris' originals.

Monique told Lucas that her father was an architect and traveled all over the world to create very unique one of a kind buildings. Her mother had started out as her father's office manager and continued working for him in that capacity after they were married. Monique had an older brother named Christophe and a younger sister named Gabrielle. She told him that her brother was an aspiring professional Grand Priz Race car driver. Her sister was thirteen and was convinced that the Creature of Central Park was some alien being that had crashed on Earth.

Lucas laughed at that. "Since my mother is a normal human I doubt that my biological father could be alien in origin. Mother told me once that my appearance was supposed to be the result of a genetic anomaly . . . or something like that. She said that, other than a few altered genes, I was as human as she was."

Monique was beginning to contemplate the idea that if his mother was a normal woman then a romantic involvement between this magnificent lion-man and a normal woman wasn't such a farfetched idea. The idea of such a forbidden love sent tingles of _excitement_ and _curiosity_ shooting through her. She chided herself over such school-girlish notions then found herself trying to sort out just what such a relationship with Lucas might be like. She wondered if Lucas could be interested in someone like her.

After a short while she worked up her courage and placed her hand on his elbow. Lucas looked over at her and smiled then, without a word, he took her hand and linked her arm through his. She felt her face grow warm as they continued walking. It took a couple of minutes of walking in silence before she felt herself able to speak coherently again. After about an hour long stroll, they arrived at Monique's home. Lucas escorted Monique right up to the front door of the fairly impressive building.

He smiled at her as he patted her hand. "Now that you're safely home, I suppose I had better be going."

Monique looked up at him with shy little smile and, gathering her courage, spoke softly to Lucas. "Would you like to come inside for a minute?"

Lucas paused, a bit surprised, then shook his head. "That would not be a very wise idea. There are others inside."

Monique looked at him a bit puzzled. "Mom and Dad and Christophe are supposed to be out late tonight . . . and how could you know that there are other people in the house."

Lucas shrugged. "Besides my unusual appearance, I have inherited a few other 'gifts' from my biological father. I also have the ability to sense the presence of others if they are reasonably close by and I can sense their emotions. So I know that there are six other people inside that house." He paused a moment looking into her eyes then continued. "And before you ask, yes, I can feel your emotions as well and, no, that does not mean I can read your thoughts. I only know what you are feeling and my range, distance wise, is usually limited to about thirty-five meters at the most." As he watched her he could feel her emotional reactions to what he had told her. They included; _surprise_ and _incredulousness_; then _speculation_, followed by _uncertainty_ and a strong surge of _embarrassment_ which finally turned to _acceptance_, though the _embarrassment_ persisted at a lower level. After a moment he spoke again. "There is really no reason to feel embarrassed. I know that you find me interesting, possibly even attractive, which **I** find interesting, and that my voice has a strong effect on you. I also can tell that you have accepted what I just told you." His smile widened. "Just for the record, I happen like you as well."

After a minute to compose herself she tightened her grip on his hand. "I still wish you would come in for a few minutes. I would very much like for my father to see you. He would be fascinated to find out that you are real and my little sister would go completely crazy over you." She giggled. "Gabrielle will probably demand to know which planet you're from." She saw the hesitation in his unusual eyes and continued. "I really would like my family to meet you."

Lucas stood there and thought about it for what seemed like a long time. He could see a substantial possibility of trouble in this action. He could also tell she was sincere and meant him no harm. Finally, with a shrug, he responded. "Very well, I'll come in if you wish." Again he paused. "I only hope I don't frighten anyone or cause any serious problems for you."

Monique broke into a wide grin. "Great!" She turned and unlocked the door then turned back, grabbed his hand and drew him into the large open foyer of the house. From the equally impressive interior of the place, it was obvious to Lucas that Monique's family was as well off as his own family. Monique faced him and spoke. "Now you wait right here while I . . . prepare my family to meet you." She grinned at him and then practically skipped through the foyer into a room beyond.

"This ought to be interesting." Lucas muttered to himself as he wondered if he had just made a major mistake letting her bring him into her house. He glanced at the door behind him with a sigh. Well at least he had a ready escape route if things went badly. He shook his head. 'I must be crazy.' He thought with a wry chuckle and a shrug.

~ o ~

Monique went into the family room but it was empty. Then she went into the dining room which was also empty. Next she entered the kitchen and found the cook still there but no one else. ~( _Isabelle, why are you here so late and where is everyone?_ )~

The cook looked at her and replied. ~( _Christophe brought his new girlfriend home and we had a late dinner. I will be leaving in just a few minutes. Right now they are all in the library getting acquainted._ )~

Monique nodded. "Merci Isabelle." She knew that Isabelle would leave through the back door so as not to disturb the family and would therefore not see Lucas in the foyer. She left the kitchen and headed back to the foyer. She smiled at Lucas still standing nervously by the front door. Then she went through the sliding pocket doors on the left side of the foyer that opened into the library.

As Monique entered the library, closing the doors behind her, she saw her mother and father sitting in the two high backed reading chairs set to the left side of the great fireplace. Her sister, Gabrielle, was sitting on the floor at her mother's feet. Her older brother, Christophe, was sitting in the loveseat to the right of the fireplace with a girl that she had not seen before. All five of them were staring at her in surprise.

After a long moment her mother finally broke the silence. ~( _Monique, you are home so early. Is something wrong?_ )~

Then her father spoke up with a hint of suspicion in his voice. ~( _Did something happen on your date?_ )~

Monique took a few steps toward the fireplace bringing her closer to everyone. ~( _Claude turned out to be a very unpleasant person._ )~

Her father jumped to his feet, his face showing worry and a hint of anger, as he responded. ~( _What happened?_ )~

Monique shrugged as she replied to them. ~( _He tried to take advantage of me. He attacked me._ )~ Her mother, her little sister and her brother's girlfriend all gasped simultaneously. Her brother was now on his feet, showing surprise and anger, as his face took on the same grim look as her father. She continued her story. ~( _I kneed him very hard where it really hurts, then someone else showed up and chased him off._ )~ Her gaze swept her audience as she continued her tale. ~( _Claude is gone now and I doubt that he will be back. My new friend put a real scare in him._ )~

Now her brother spoke, a look of curiosity mixed with the worry on his face. ~( _What new friend? Who helped you?_ )~

Monique looked straight at her father as she responded. ~( _Father, do you remember those stories we heard about the Creature of Central Park, when we were in New York several years ago? You said there must be something real behind those legends_. )~

Her father nodded, puzzled at this odd change of topic. ~( _Yes I do. What has that got to do with anything?_ )~

Monique became more serious as her gaze again swept all of them. They were all looking at her in confused curiosity. It was time to drop the bomb. ~( _Those stories are true . . . and the stories that have been going around about the Lion-man of the River Seine are also true._ )~

Her father shook his head looking at her in surprise as he responded. ~( _What are you talking about?_ )~

With the exception of her little sister, everyone was looking at her with stunned disbelief. Little Gabrielle had a look of extreme interest on her face. Monique continued her story. ~( _The Lion-man is real and he showed up to protect me from Claude and chased him off._ )~ Monique exhibited a self-satisfied smiled as she continued. ~( _He even walked me home. Believe me when I tell you that I know that the Lion-man is real. I have met and talked to him._ )~

By now her father had recovered from his surprise and stated his position. ~( _Monique, I find what you are saying very hard to believe._ )~

Now it was the time to drop the final bomb and Monique did so with a hint of gleeful vindication in her voice. ~( _It is true. You can see for yourselves. The Lion-man of the River Seine is right now standing in our entry hall._ )~

This pronouncement was followed by several seconds of stunned silence as they all looked back at her in disbelief. Finally her father exclaimed a bit explosively. ~( _What!_ )~

Monique reiterated. ~( _Like I just told you, The Lion-man is real and he is currently standing in our foyer waiting to meet the rest of my family._ )~

Again there was a moment when you could have heard a pin drop then her thirteen year old little sister was up like a shot and heading for the doors followed closely by the rest of the family.

~ o ~

In the short minutes since Monique had come back through the foyer and disappeared through the sliding pocket doors, Lucas had been sensing a wild array of shifting emotions from that room and getting more nervous by the second. The emotional gestalt had settled on _surprise_ and _amusement_ mixed with _incredulous disbelief_ and one example of _excited anticipation_. Lucas turned half way around ready to bolt through the front door. He stopped himself. If he left now it would leave Monique looking like a liar or a fool to her family which he could not do to her. He would just have to brave it out and hope for the best. The next instant the sliding doors banged open making him jump.

Gabrielle burst into the foyer and came to a skidding halt as she found herself confronted with two meters of very impressive honest-to-goodness real live Lion-man standing less than three meters in front of her. Just behind her the rest of the family poured through the doorway and also came to a sudden halt behind her. Five sets of jaws headed toward the floor as they all took in the sight before them. Then there was a choked half scream followed by pandemonium.

Almost simultaneously with the half screams from Monique's mother and her brother's girlfriend, her father exclaimed, "Mon Dieu !" Then her mother passed out and her father barely managed to catch her mother calling out "**Brigitte!**" before she hit the floor.

Monique and her Sister both called out, ~( **_Mother!_** )~ At the same time her brother's attention was momentarily centered on his girlfriend who was clinging tightly to him and seemed in danger of passing out as well.

Monique's father picked up her mother and carried her quickly back into the Library followed by the rest of the family.

Monique was completely taken aback by the family's reaction to Lucas. She had expected surprise and shock but nothing like this. She glanced at her family then at Lucas then back at her family as they disappeared into the library. Finally she spoke to Lucas slipping into French in her anxiety. ~( _I am so sorry about this. Don't go away. I will be right back_. )~ Then she followed her family into the library.

As Monique disappeared through the doors Lucas shook his head. This was not good.

~ o ~

Monique saw that her father had laid her mother out on the long sofa against the foyer side wall. Her father was hovering over her mother, holding her hand and calling out her name. ~( _Brigitte, Brigitte, my love, wake up._ )~ The rest of them were standing around shuffling nervously.

Her brother was holding and comforting his girlfriend. ~( _Do not be afraid Christine, I will protect you from that monster._ )~ As Monique approached the group her brother looked up at her speaking angrily. ~( _How could you bring that thing into our house?_ )~

Her father then looked up at her and spoke sternly. ~( _What did you think you were doing bringing that creature into our home? You have no idea how dangerous he might be?_ )~

Monique responded with some heat. ~( **_He is not dangerous!_**_ He saved me from Claude and behaved like a perfect gentleman to me while he escorted me home._ )~

Everyone's attention was drawn to her mother as she awoke with a groan. Brigitte's eyes fluttered open and there was a hint of fear and confusion in them. ~( _A monster. Xavier, there was a monster in the foyer._ )~

Monique was becoming more and more upset at her family and finally she responded angrily at the entire group, nearly shouting. ~( **_Lucas is not a monster!_**_ He is a lion-man and he has feelings!_ )~ She ground out her next words while trying to get her emotions under control. ~( _He saved me from possible rape and brought me safely home. I invited him in to show you that he was real and all that you can do is insult him, calling him **Monster** and **Creature**._ )~ She felt herself on the verge of tears as she looked angrily back at all of them. ~( _I am going to go check on him . . . see if he is alright._ )~ She stiffly turned her back and marched out into the foyer, ignoring her father calling out her name. Everyone stared in surprised amazement at her back as she passed through the still open doorway into the foyer.

Monique could hear her father and brother arguing about what they should do as she approached Lucas still standing beside the front door and looking both hurt and worried. She stopped right in front of him still trying to hold back tears of hurt, frustration and anger. ~( _Lucas I am so sorry._ )~ She suddenly threw her arms around him and he reacted after a pause by putting his arms gently around her. "All I wanted . . ." ~( _All I wanted to do was show you off to them to prove that you were real._ )~ She buried her face in his chest as the tears began to flow. ~( _You were so kind to me and they said such horrible things about you in there_. )~ She wanted to drive away the pain she was sure that he must have felt at what he must have overheard her family saying in the library. She also wanted him to reassure her that they were still OK.

At that point she realized with a shock that she really did know the _pain_ he was feeling because she was feeling it as well. She was feeling his emotions? She also came to the realization that she cared a great deal about how he felt. Her tears began to subside as her mind focused on this strange new phenomenon.

After a few moments she felt his _pain_ fade somewhat and new emotions of _surprise_ and _compassion_ were beginning to move into its place. Then he spoke to her, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. "Monique you must not blame your family. They had no idea what to expect." He took hold of her shoulders and gently moved her back from him then looked deeply into her eyes trying to reassure her. "They were surprised and frightened by my appearance. It is not that uncommon. I have experienced this type of reaction before." He reassuringly squeezed her shoulders but she still felt the _hurt_ inside him. "I should go now." Then he let go of her.

Monique quickly grabbed one of his hands as he started to turn away. ~( _You can't go. If you leave now I won't know how to find you again._ )~ She paused taking a deep breath to get herself under better control then spoke very low so that only he could hear. ~( _Take me with you_. )~

Lucas shook his head then furrowed his brows as he glanced around at a small library table he had noticed earlier by the front door. He picked up the pen and blank notepad that lay there and began to write a number down. "If you call this number you can leave messages for me and I will be sure to get them. Also you know that you can sometimes find me somewhere along the Seine after dark." He reached out and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, a slightly puzzled look on his face. "And I have the strangest feeling that if you really need me, somehow I think I will know." He dropped his hand and glanced past her at the rest of her family peering around the doorway at them. "I really must go now and you must stay here with your family." He opened the door behind him. "Goodbye for now." Then he left, closing the door behind him.

**__**Continued in Part 3**__**

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><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


	3. Confrontations

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Confrontations<strong>

For several seconds Monique stood there facing the closed front door, the note crumpled in her tightly closed fist. Her mind was whirling madly as she contemplated the surprising strength of her feelings for Lucas. She had never felt this strongly for any previous boyfriend.

Finally she turned and walked, as in a daze, past her family. They were all standing in the library doorway and watched her walking across the foyer, almost as stunned as she was. Each of them was trying in their own way to reconcile the strangely tender moment, that they had just witnessed, with the fearsome appearance of the creature. She glanced angrily at them then without a word Monique continued to the stairs on the right side of the foyer and up to her room.

Monique firmly closed her bedroom door and threw herself onto her bed. She was soon playing everything over in her mind trying to sort things out and get her feelings back under control.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her bedroom door followed by the voice of Xavier, her father, calling to her. ~( _Monique, I need to speak with you_. )~

Monique called out. ~( _Go away, leave me alone_. )~

Brigitte, her mother, responded. ~( _Monique, won't you come out and talk to us, please_. )~

Monique responded. ~( _No, I do not want to speak to anyone. Go away_. )~

After a couple of seconds, during which she caught the sound of whispered words, Xavier responded. ~( _Very well. You get some sleep. We will talk in the morning_. )~

Monique did not respond and soon she heard her parent's footsteps moving off down the hall.

Her thoughts returned to their original track. She remembered her burst of relief when she had met Lucas's sister. She rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, surprise rushing through her. Now, in retrospect, she realized that it meant that the possibility of a relationship between them was real. Yet, until this very minute, she had not really been aware of how much her feelings for him had grown in the short time she had known him. She realized that she had fallen for him without even knowing it was happening.

A few minutes later as her emotional turmoil calmed down she noticed that she was still feeling a vague hint of _surprise_, _confusion_ and _speculation_ that she realized did not seem to be coming from her. She puzzled over this for a few seconds then she started concentrating on the foreign emotions and they quickly become clearer. When she stopped concentrating on these foreign emotions they faded far enough into the background as to almost unnoticeable but they did not disappear completely. She began to sense a definite _warm_ feeling that she could only think of as the true beginnings of real love overlaying the other emotions. With a bit of a shock she realized that they must be coming from Lucas. It was the only explanation. He was still thinking of her and he was feeling the same for her as she felt for him.

She blinked at the ceiling in surprise. Was she really falling for 'L'homme-lion des bords de Seine' and could he really be falling for her? She blew out a surprised breath. How could she be feeling his emotions, even now? What could all this mean? She began contemplating this new element to today's events. It took her a very long time before she finally drifted off to sleep, still trying to understand what was happening.

~ o ~

As Lucas walked away from Monique's house he was contemplating the strange phenomenon he had just encountered. As Monique had held him he had realized that he caught a reflection of his own emotions in her mind and had felt her reacting to those emotions. He also noticed that, even as the emotions of the others in that house faded with distance, his sense of Monique's feelings didn't seem to be getting any weaker. He could still feel the _turmoil_ and _confusion_ in her mind and he worried about her. More importantly, he seemed to be falling for her and it felt like she was very interested in him.

He stopped and looked back at Monique's place a little over a hundred fifty meters away. He could no longer get any sense of the others in that place but his sense of Monique remained almost as strong as when he had been holding her a few minutes ago. He stood there for several minutes puzzling over this unusual development. He had never before felt anything like this connection that he felt with her. After a short time he turned and resumed walking toward his home, still deep in thought, trying to understand the emotions that he was still sensing from her while at the same time trying to figure out why he could still sense her emotions. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the few startled couples that he passed by on his way home.

After mulling over the situation in his mind for most of his walk home he thought of going to his mother for help with his dilemma. Maybe his mother would be able to explain what he was experiencing. He increased his pace, anxious to see what insight she might have about what he was experiencing. At that point he became aware of the surprised reactions of a couple that he was passing and pulled his hood up to cover his face.

As he approached his home he sensed his sister's presence inside but Jacques's presence was nowhere in evidence. He quietly hoped that he had not ruined his sister's chances with Jacques and continued into their home. He could tell that his parent's were both asleep but Lucie was awake and apparently waiting for him in the family room. Her emotions combined _curiosity_, mild _amusement_ and _uncertainty,_ with just a hint of _worry_ in the background. He knew that she was going to want to know about everything that had happened tonight.

He entered the room and she looked up at him. "Well, big brother, how did it go with your new friend?"

Lucas sighed deeply then plopped carelessly into the overstuffed loveseat across from the chair Lucie was sitting in. "It didn't go quite as well as it might have. What about you and Jacques?"

Lucie shook her head. "Jacques was a bit shocked but I think he will get over it. He asked me a lot of questions about you. I told him just a little bit about you being my half-brother on Mother's side, then I told him that I would see him tomorrow afternoon and explain everything to him then. He doesn't appear to be too put off by your existence and he seemed to accept the fact that you're my half-brother so I'm hopeful that everything will turn out all right in the end." She looked hard at her brother's face. His casual understatement had not fooled her at all. "I'm more interested in what happened with you. You know that you cannot fool me Lucas. I've known you all my life and from your expression I suspected that the situation with that girl turned into a major disaster." She cocked her head as she studied her unique brother's face for a moment. "Now tell little sister all about it. What happened?"

Lucas looked down a moment before he spoke. "I walked Monique home and we talked a lot while we walked. When we reached her place she invited me to come inside. I could tell that her family was home and tried to tell her that I should leave but she insisted." He stopped speaking, shaking his head.

Lucie jumped in at this point. "So you gave in and let her talk you into it." She shook her head. "And her family did not react at all well to you."

Lucas shook his head. "That's an understatement." He sighed.

Lucie studied his puzzled and slightly distracted face for a moment then spoke again. "There is more though isn't there? Something else happened." She cocked her head slightly to the side, concern and curiosity showing on her face. "What else happened?"

Lucas looked down at his hands a moment. "It's about Monique." He looked up at his sister. "I can still feel her emotions. Even from this far away, I can still feel everything that she is feeling."

She looked back at him in surprise. "What? But I thought . . ."

Lucas jumped in. "I know, I know. I've never been able to feel anyone from more than about thirty meters away except when their emotions are really strong and even then the furthest was about a hundred meters." He shook his head. "But I can still feel her, even now at a distance of well over three kilometers. It is as though she were sitting right there beside you." He looked back down at his hands and continued almost too quietly for her to hear. "And I'm pretty sure that she is feeling my emotions right now as well."

A moment later he felt the cushions shift as Lucie sat down beside him then she placed one hand over his clasped hands and he looked up into her eyes to see the same _sympathy_ and _curiosity_ that he could feel running through her mind.

Lucie held her brother's gaze for a moment, seeing _uncertainty_, _confusion_ and a hint of _stunned wonder_ in his unique eyes as well as feeling them in his soul. She knew that physical contact increased the strength of his gift as well as letting her get a feel of his emotions, a gift from their mother, and she wanted there to be no doubt about her _compassion_ and _understanding_ as she spoke softly to him. "Are you sure about this?" She cocked her head to the side. "Is she really sensing you as well?" She stared into her brother's eyes as she felt his complex emotional state.

He nodded. "Yes I'm pretty sure. Even now I'm sensing things from her that have to be a direct response to my own emotions." He took a deep breath. "I first noticed it when she embraced me just before I left. I could feel my own emotions echoed in her mind and I could feel her emotional reactions to them. I think she realized that she was feeling my emotions at almost the same time that I did. After I left her place I soon realized that my sense of her was not fading with distance." He paused a moment then spoke again softly. "At present I can feel her emotions fading into the background as she drifts off into sleep but my sense of her presence is still as strong as ever. I can even tell which direction she is from me." He looked back into his sister's eyes. "And I think I am falling in love with her. I've only known her for two hours yet I'm falling in love with her." He sighed deeply. "What is happening to me, Lucie?"

They sat there for a while, each deep in their own thoughts. He caught a hint of _humor_ from her a moment before she spoke. She looked back at him with a hint of a smile. "I may not be a true empath like you but, even without touching you, I could tell by the look on your face that you like this girl a lot." She cocked her head the other way and her smile brightened. "Look on the bright side. Maybe this . . . link or connection . . . or whatever it is that you two have formed, means that you are meant for each other." She jumped up from the loveseat. "It's late and we both need to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning you can ask Mother about it. She knew your biological father fairly well." Her eyes glinted with a hint of teasing that he was so familiar with. "At least well enough to make you." She grinned and blushed a moment then squeezed one of his hands. "Maybe Mother will be able to explain what this is and what it means to you." She dropped his hand and stood up. "Now I'm going to bed." She left the family room and headed up stairs to her bedroom.

A few minutes later Lucas headed upstairs to his own room, his mind still whirling with questions.

~ o ~

Lucas lay sleeplessly in his bed thinking about his biological father, the one he knew only through stories told to him by his mother and adoptive father, and the occasional messages he exchanged with him. He had known as far back as he could remember that Pierre was not his biological father and Pierre couldn't help but know that Lucas wasn't his. The differences made that pretty obvious. His mom and dad had never tried to hide his origin from him and had always answered any of his questions as honestly as they could. His mother and his biological father had been involved in a short but very intense on-again off-again affair. His mother had told him that his biological father had been on the rebound from a previous relationship where he had lost that girl to his brother. That was when their relationship had suddenly gotten so intense that it had resulted in his conception. Then, just as quickly, it had been over and his mother had ended up with his adopted father.

His mother, Randy, had retired, to some extent, from the fashion modeling business immediately after she got married to Pierre. After that she had concentrated on helping her new husband in his high fashion clothing business. Together they had become Pierre and Randy of the premiere fashion house 'Pierre of Paris'. Lucas had been born seven months later. Though there could never be any possible doubt about his paternity, Pierre had accepted him without reservation. They had not told his biological father about Lucas at first, mostly to spare him any more complications because he had been going through a very tough period in his life and they did not want to complicate it any further.

A few years later, when Lucas was two years old, his biological father had married a woman named Patricia. His parents had been planning to tell his biological father about Lucas but decided that it would be best to just keep him a secret a little bit longer so as not to cause any more problems for William and his new bride Patricia.

Finally when Lucas was six his mother's best friend, the supermodel Emily Hanson, found out about him. Shortly after that Emily convinced his parents to let his biological father know about Lucas. There had been a flurry of communications during that year but things had finally settled down to the occasional exchange of messages and phone calls. At ten Lucas had been surprised to learn that Emily was actually married to a cousin of his biological father. Emily still acted as a major source of communication with and gossip about his relatives in America. About once or twice a year Lucas would talk to William and Patricia and his half-siblings over the phone.

For the most part that was sufficient, however Lucas did occasionally think about the possibility of some day meeting his biological father and his half brothers and sisters. But they lived in America and he lived in France making such a thing impossible.

Lucas was jarred from his contemplations by a sudden sharp jolt in Monique's emotions. She had been asleep a few seconds ago, now she was awake and very upset. He tried to think calming emotions at her like he remembered Emily mentioning once. It must have worked because after a short time he felt Monique calming down in response. About a half hour later he felt her drifting off to sleep and he turned his mind to the contemplation of this new phenomenon. Tomorrow morning he would definitely need to talk to his mother or possibly her friend, Emily, about this if he could get a hold of her.

~ o ~

Monique bolted up from a deep sleep, extremely upset. The nightmare had been so real. Her mother had been screaming in terror as her father and brother had been blasting away at Lucas with shotguns. Then suddenly they had been smugly standing over Lucas each with a foot resting on his dead body.

Tentatively at first then with growing strength she had felt a warm feeling of _comfort_ and _compassion_ stealing over her as she calmed down under its effects. Then in a surprised revelation, she realized that the comforting feelings were coming from that tiny nugget of Lucas that she had been feeling inside herself since he had left her home. She lay back down and embraced the warm emotion of _compassion_ that she was feeling from Lucas. As she concentrated on those feelings she began to realize that she was also sensing his physical presence that seemed to include a sense of compass direction as well. She wondered what this could all mean. Slowly she drifted off to sleep surrounded in the warmth of his feelings for her.

~ x x x x x ~

Lucas woke to the sun streaming through the frosted glass of his window. Half fearfully he felt within himself. To his relief he found that he could still feel Monique's presence. She was still asleep. As soon as his mind turned to getting ready for the morning his sense of her faded into the background until it was almost lost in the emotions he was feeling from the rest of those in his home.

When Lucas entered the dining room his mother was adjusting some fresh flowers in a vase on the table then looked up at him in surprise. "You're up pretty early this morning." Then she noticed the unusually pensive look on her very unusual son's face. "Lucas, is there something wrong?"

Lucas looked over at his mother for a few seconds before responding. "Something very . . . unusual happened last night and I needed to talk to someone about it." He paused as she frowned in concern. "Last night I met a girl on the river walk and now, even though she is over three kilometers away in her own house, I can still feel her emotions . . . and I'm pretty certain that she can feel mine as well."

Randy sat down hard, stunned as she stared back at her son. Lucas took the seat next to her as she pulled herself together. Finally she spoke. "William told me about this once and Emily often mentions it in passing but I never thought about it happening to you." Again she paused. "Tell me everything that happened."

For the next half hour Lucas related the events of the previous night to his mother.

~ o ~

Monique was just beginning to emerge from sleep when she heard a knocking at her door. Her father's voice called out. ~( _Monique, it is time to awaken. Breakfast is almost ready._ )~ There was a moment's pause then another knock. ~( _Monique, are you in there? Are you awake?_ )~

Monique finally called out a response. ~( _I am awake. I will be downstairs in a few minutes._ )~

Her father responded. ~( _All right, do not take too long_. )~ This was followed after about a second by the sound of her father's footsteps moving away then descending the stairs.

Monique was a little bit hesitant about dealing with her family after last night and took her time getting ready. Finally she made her way down to the dining room, still feeling uneasy. When she entered the dining room the rest of her family was sitting at the table watching her. She could almost feel the family pulling together and aligned against her.

The meal started in a strained silence. Finally Brigitte spoke softly to her. ~( _Monique, I am sure that you did not mean any harm when you brought that creature into our home._ )~

Xavier continued, trying to sound reasonable and restrained. ~( _Even if that creature chased Claude off, it was unwise to remain in its company. And bringing it into our home was a bit reckless._ )~

Her brother, Christophe, jumped in speaking a bit belligerently at this point. ~( _You had no way of knowing how dangerous that thing might be. It could have attacked us in our home._ )~

The other three glared at her brother then her sister, Gabrielle, rebuked him. ~( _Christophe! We all agreed that we would discuss this calmly and reasonably._ )~

Christophe shot back. ~( _You saw how she acted last night, Gabrielle. She hugged that thing. It was disgusting._ )~

Monique slammed her fork to the table and glared at her brother. ~( _I will hug whoever I wish to hug and it is none of your business. And speaking, of disgusting, you were the one that set me up with Claude. At least Lucas didn't try to rape me last night._ )~

Christophe sputtered a bit as he stared at Monique indignantly.

Xavier turned to Christophe and remarked a bit harshly. ~( _Christophe, you are not helping the situation! _)~ Xavier then turned back to face Monique as he tried to regain his self-control. ~( _Monique, you are our daughter and we all care about your welfare._ )~

Monique replied, also trying to calm down. ~( _I know you care about me but this is my life and I should be able to choose my own friends_. )~

Her mother spoke imploringly to her. ~( _You are still just a child, Monique, you do not realize how dangerous your actions were_. )~

Monique stood up her face red. ~( _I am old enough to make my own choices and I can associate with anyone I want. I am a legal adult and you can not tell me what to do._ )~

Brigitte started to speak to her daughter. ~( _Monique, please _. . . )~

Then Xavier spoke over her mother. ~( _This is my house and I can not allow this kind of thing. That monster is not even human and you are not to associate with it._ )~

Monique stared silently at her father and brother's implacable faces for a couple of seconds shaking from her emotional turmoil. She suddenly stood up, her eyes blazing. ~( _Fine, if that's the way you want it . . ._ )~ Then she turned and marched out of the dining room. She paused at the dining room door and looked back at her family. ~( _I will not be back._ )~ She quickly strode across the foyer and straight to the front door. Without so much as a pause she opened the front door and stepped through into the morning sun. Just before she closed the front door she heard her mother call out her name. She paused a moment, her back to the door then quickly descended the front steps. As soon as she reached the bottom of the front steps Monique broke into a run as her tears began to flow freely.

~ o ~

All four of the remaining members of Monique's family watched in shock as she slammed the front door on her way out. For several seconds they stared at the closed front door in silence then Brigitte broke into tears.

Gabrielle turned on her father and brother. ~( _Now look what you have done_. )~ Then she ran, crying, up the stairs to her own room.

Xavier and Christophe looked at each other in stunned surprise, too shocked to speak. Xavier could only wonder how it had gotten so out of hand so quickly.

**__**Continued in Part 4**__**

* * *

><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


	4. Interventions

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Interventions<strong>

Randy was trying her best to explain to her son about 'The Bond' despite the fact that she really didn't know that much about it. "It's basically a part of your heritage and it's all tied in somehow to your empathic abilities." She paused again trying to remember what she had been told. "The way Emily once explained it to me, 'the bond' usually happens when someone like you falls in love. That's what they call it, 'the Bond'. She told me that you form a permanent empathic connection between you and your lover that links your souls together." Randy paused a moment, startled, as the importance of what she had said penetrated her own mind. The meaning also drew a startled gasp from Lucas at the same instant. Randy drew a deep breath and gulped. This was so much deeper and more important than she had realized and she could see that same realization in her son's eyes. Just how deeply had he become involved with this new girl? She drew another deep breath to steady herself then continued. "Your natural father, William, told me one time that, once this link, or bond, is formed, no matter how far apart the two of you are, you will still be able to feel each other's souls." She now looked at her son with a hint of sympathy. "William went through a pretty rough time for a couple of years shortly after you were born. He had fallen for and become linked to a woman that was only interested in finding and destroying him."

Lucas looked at his mother in dismay. He had never heard about this. All he knew was that William had found a wonderful woman named Patricia and was happily married to her. "What happened?"

Randy chuckled. "After three years the woman finally found him and they got married."

Lucas looked stunned. "Patricia?" Then understanding dawned as other pieces of conversations came together. Then he came back to something else he had wondered about. "What about William and you? What really happened there?"

Randy looked down at her own hands for a moment and sighed. Sometimes I think that was largely my fault. As much as I loved William, I could never be truly comfortable in his world. Just the thought of being below ground makes me feel cold inside, and the lack of privacy really bothered me." She paused, shook her head, and shrugged. "Sounds a bit foolish, now, considering my own gift." Again she paused lost momentarily in her thoughts. "And I didn't want to give up my life. I think my own uncertainties may have blocked any bond from forming between us. I don't really know. We were so drawn to each other yet even that one night we made love, though we could feel each other's emotions through our own gifts, there was no bond." She paused again amazed at herself. She had never shared this with anyone but Pierre; yet now with her son it all came spilling out of her. She looked up and saw her son's eyes were wide open with surprise, curiosity and sympathy as he took in what she was telling him and urging her to continue. "That is one of the reasons William and I decided that it wouldn't work out between us and broke up. We cared deeply for each other and that night we both needed each other very much, but the next morning we decided that we were not really in love, at least not the 'forever after' kind, and we convinced ourselves that it just wasn't meant to be." She paused a moment in thought then sighed deeply. "The truth is, I think I panicked at the thought of the 'forever after' aspect and ran from the relationship." She took another deep breath, shook her head, and forced her mind back onto the original subject.

Randy continued telling Lucas what little she could remember being told about the bond by both Emily and William. She paused when she noticed that Lucas seemed to drift off and was staring off into space. "Lucas? . . . What is it?"

Lucas came back into focus and responded. "It's Monique. Something is wrong; she is getting more upset by the minute." He seemed to lose focus again as he put all his attention on the emotional link that he shared with Monique.

Randy quietly watched her son unsure what she should do. Finally she reached over and touched his arm. Her mind was suddenly filled with her son's emotions as well as a reflection of the emotions he was feeling from Monique. They both felt it when Monique's emotions exploded in intensity. In her surprise she drew back her hand breaking contact. Lucas put all of his concentration into trying to sooth Monique through the strange new link that he was still learning about.

~ o ~

Monique ran blindly, tears streaming down her cheeks, for several minutes then collapsed onto one of the benches that lined the river walk. She placed her head in her hands and began to cry in earnest. Soon Monique began to feel the effects of Lucas's attempts to soothe her through the link that had formed between them and started to regain control of herself. Once she had gotten her emotions somewhat under control she realized, to her surprise, that she was getting a distinct sense of direction through her link to Lucas. She stood up and resolutely took off in the direction that her link to him drew her. Monique was still very upset and right now she needed Lucas more than anything else.

~ o ~

For the last several minutes Randy watched her son as he concentrated on his connection to his new friend. Compassion and determination mixed with a myriad of other emotions dominated his face as he continued to stare out into unfocused infinity. Finally his eyes snapped back into focus and he looked at his mother. "Monique is still very upset." He looked surprised. "And I think she is coming this way."

Randy nodded. "You know that you have always been able to tell where the emotions you sense are coming from. It is possible that she can also sense your location as well." She glanced down at her bathrobe. "If we are going to have a guest then I had better get prepared." She stood up patting her son's shoulder as she took in the fact that he was currently dressed in boxers and a bathrobe. "Perhaps you should get dressed as well." She headed up the stairs.

After a few seconds, Lucas stood up and headed for his own room to get dressed for the day. Very soon he returned back downstairs to the parlor and plopped down on the sofa, dressed and waiting for whatever the day might bring.

A few seconds later Lucie came downstairs already dressed for the day. The pensive look on her brother's face brought her to an abrupt halt. "Lucas, what's happening?"

Lucas looked up at her. "Monique is very upset about something and I'm fairly sure that she is heading this way." He looked down at his clasped hands. "I'm afraid that I may be the cause of her problem."

Lucie patted his shoulder, getting a quick rush of his _worry_ and _concern_. "Don't let yourself get too worked up about it until you find out what the problem really is."

~ o ~

Monique had been following her sense of Lucas for an undetermined time when she found herself standing on the edge of a street, a block from the river walk, and looking at the front door of a very upscale home. She wasn't sure why, but she was sure that Lucas was just beyond that door. Now that she was here she felt just a bit hesitant to approach. She glanced back and forth at the growing traffic on the street then took several hesitant steps toward that door and its promise of comfort.

Halfway across the street she paused, startled, when the large ornate door before her opened and the same teenage girl that she had met last night was standing there looking out at her. After a few moments the girl that had been introduced as Lucas's half-sister spoke. "There is no need to stand out there in the middle of the street. Please come on inside. Lucas is waiting for you." She was also gesturing for Monique to approach.

Monique blinked then after a moment's hesitation closed the distance and stepped up to the invitingly open door. Lucie stepped back in an obviously open invitation for her to enter. As Monique stepped through the door she spotted Lucas standing just out of sight from anyone that might be outside the door. She paused a moment then she was in his embrace and the tears were flowing again. Lucie quietly closed the front door and went back to the kitchen.

Lucas held her doing his best to comfort her as she cried herself out. After a few minutes Monique looked up into Lucas's eyes. ~( _I am so sorry to have intruded on your home like this but I was so upset and you were the only one I could think of that I could turn to._ )~

To her surprise, a voice from the stairway responded. ~( _That is all right . . . Monique is it not . . . you are welcome in our home anytime you wish to visit._ )~

Monique looked up past Lucas's shoulder and saw a man and a stunning woman that were coming down the stairs. It was the woman that had spoken. After a moment thinking they looked familiar she recognized them from pictures she had seen in her mother's fashion magazines. She looked back into Lucas's eyes. ~( _You live here?_ )~

Pierre responded as he and Randy reached the bottom of the stairs. ~( _He is our son, of course he lives here._ )~ Monique looked at Pierre and Randy then back at Lucas. Pierre chuckled as they approached. ~( _Lucas is actually Randy's son but I still think of him as mine._ )~

Randy spoke again, her French heavily accented. ~( _You poor dear, you look like you have not had a very good morning._ )~ She gestured toward the sofa. ~( _You should sit down and tell us about it. Maybe we can help._ )~

They all sat down in the parlor and soon Monique was pouring out her tale of what had happened last night and this morning. There was deep pain in Randy's eyes as she heard what was said and she drew close to Pierre for comfort. Pierre's eyes sparked with indignation as Monique reported what her family had said about Lucas. There was also the fire of outrage in Lucie's eyes over the insults to her big brother. Monique noticed that she could sense _sorrow_ and _embarrassment_ coming from Lucas while she was talking. She also noticed that Pierre was looking at her sympathetically but she caught the flashes of outrage in his eyes occasionally. Once she had finished telling her story there was several seconds of silence. Then Pierre spoke. ~( _Monique, what do you want to do now?_ )~

Monique looked down for a few seconds at her clasped hands that were now enfolded in Lucas's strong warm furry hands. She took a few deep breaths then finally responded. ~(_ I . . . I don't really know. I suppose that I might be able to stay with a friend._ )~ She paused and took another deep breath. ~(_ I just know that I am never going back to that place . . . ever._ )~ She looked up at Randy and Pierre trying to show bravado that she didn't really feel. ~( _I am old enough to take care of myself. I will be just fine._ )~

Randy reached out and touched Monique's forearm. She was immediately hit by waves of _hurt_, _uncertainty_ and _doubt_. A glance at her son confirmed that he felt it too. For all her bravado she really had no idea what to do or where she could stay. Randy then glanced over at Pierre. He nodded once; approving what he suspected would be coming next. Randy turned her attention back to Monique and began speaking in her best motherly tones. ~( _Do not worry yourself about it my dear. You are staying with us tonight! And tomorrow morning, after everyone has had time to cool down, Pierre and I will go visit your family and see if we can smooth things over with them._ )~ She glanced over at her husband. ~( _I am not much good at confrontations but Pierre is a good businessman and can be very persuasive when he needs to be._ )~

Monique gave a tentative smile. ~( _Are you sure that I won't be an imposition?_ )~

Pierre spoke up in his most authoritative manor. ~( _There will be no arguments. You are staying with us tonight and tomorrow we will see what happens with your parents._ )~ He took a deep breath through his nose and smiled. ~( _I believe that you have arrived just in time for breakfast. Let us retire to the dining room._ )~

Pierre stood up and indicated the way. They all got up and followed him. As soon as they had all sat down at the table that was easily large enough for twelve, a middle-aged woman came in to serve the breakfast. ~( _Thank-you Aurore_. )~ Randy remarked to the woman. As Monique watched Aurore she noticed that the woman seemed to take no notice of Lucas's appearance but Monique apparently rated a little bit of extra scrutiny from her.

After breakfast was over Pierre and Randy headed out saying that they had a meeting with a potential new buyer then they were going to check on the progress with next year's fall line.

As they were going out the door a young, fairly pretty, blond woman wearing a maid's dress entered the same door. She smiled brightly at Lucas as she addressed him. ~( _Good morning Young Master Lucas_. )~

Lucas gave a little chuckle as he responded. ~( _Good morning Sophie_. )~

Sophie's eyes focused on Monique. ~( _And who is this?_ )~

Lucie's voice came from behind them. ~ ( Sophie, this is Monique. )~

The maid glanced down at Monique's hand clasped in Lucas's furry one. One eyebrow rode an impressive distance up her forehead as she inquired in heavily accented English. "And what is your place here?"

Lucie grinned at the Sophie. "It seems that you have been replaced as my brother's girlfriend."

"Oh, mon ami, what will I ever do without you?" Sophie seemed to pout but there was a definite sparkle of fond amusement in her eyes as she glanced back and forth between them.

Lucas chuckled. "Don't worry, Sophie, we will always be friends."

Sophie shook her head sorrowfully though her eyes still sparkled. "Oh, mon cherrie, that is what they all say."

Lucas quickly glanced back toward the dining room at the sound of clattering dishes. "If you hurry, Sophie, you may be able to grab some breakfast before Aurore cleans up the kitchen."

"Oh mon ami, why did you not say so earlier. Sorry, but I must run." Sophie grinned as she sprinted for the kitchen.

Lucie giggled then responded to the curious look on Monique's face. "Sophie is our maid. She is eight years older than Lucas. He was ten years old when she came to work for us, eight years ago. She was totally charmed by Lucas and used to always call him her little boyfriend." She smiled. "Sophie and Aurore are as much members of the family as they are employees." Lucie glanced down at her watch. "Oh my, it's getting late. I want to go see Jacques this morning and talk to him about what happened last night." Lucie ran up the stairs then ten minutes later came back down and left the house.

~ o ~

Monique stood beside Lucas and looked around in wide eyes wonder at the seemingly endless tunnels and caverns that they had been visiting for the last two hours. ~( _It is incredible . . . amazing . . . fantastic._ )~

Lucas smiled at her as he responded. "Welcome to the playground of my youth; commonly referred to as 'The Catacombs'." He chuckled at the look in her eyes. "I have probably seen more of them than anyone else ever has."

Monique heard a faint echo of voices coming from somewhere off to her left. "What was that?" She took a couple of steps in the direction of the sounds.

Lucas grabbed her elbow, stopping her. "We cannot go that way. That direction leads to one of the public sections of the catacombs." He shrugged at her quizzical look. "That's where the tourists go." He grinned. "I have explored even that area many times after they close. I know that I could easily do a better job than most of the people they hire as tour guides."

Monique shook her head. "And this is where you spent most of your childhood. Did your parents not worry about you running around down here?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not really. They knew this was the only place where I could get out of the house to play without fear of discovery. They bought our house specifically because it gave us direct access to 'The Catacombs'. Originally they were very restrictive about the areas where I was allowed to play. Slowly, as I got older they began to ease the restriction. For the last few years I have been allowed to explore down here without restrictions as long as I let them know which way I am going." He started pulling Monique down another tunnel. "This way. There is something that I want to show you."

After about a ten minute walk that she was sure had been consistently downhill she began to hear more voices from somewhere ahead. At about the same time Lucas spoke. "This is just about the deepest part of The Catacombs. Even the authorities do not know that this part exists."

Very soon they were encountering people. The further they went the more of them they encountered. Monique noticed that Lucas had shifted to French once they began encountering other people down here. These people all looked like the kind of homeless people that the authorities sometimes pulled out of the tourist areas of the Catacombs. There was something different about them though. Their clothes, in general, appeared to be clean and well cared for. Also most of them seemed to be much more alert, cognizant of their surroundings than your typical homeless person. There were a few individuals that were a little lost looking or seemed to be pretty much out of it but there were very few of them. Most importantly they all seemed to take Lucas completely in stride, as though they were already quite familiar with his unique appearance.

After the third person in a row greeted Lucas by name Monique finally gave way to her curiosity. ~( _Who are these people and why are they all staring at me like that?_ )~

Lucas smiled at another person that had greeted him then replied. ~( _That is a very complicated question. Each one of them has a different story._ )~ He stopped walking and paused in thought for a moment. ~( _Some of them are ordinary homeless people looking for shelter, just like the ones that are sometimes found in the upper catacombs. Some of them are people with lost or damaged souls that are simply in need of a refuge where they can recover their spirit and rebuild their lives. Some are hiding from dangers that the authorities can do nothing about and we provide a safe haven hidden from the rest of the world. Down here they are sheltered, protected and cared for._ )~ Lucas was interrupted by a middle aged woman with three young children that came up to Lucas and gave him a big hug. Then they were all babbling in some language that Monique didn't recognize. While looking sharply at Monique, the woman asked a question of Lucas and he replied. The only word that Monique recognized in that conversation was her own name. After the family moved on, Lucas continued. ~( _I stumbled across this place a little over a year ago. After a very tentative first few weeks, they finally accepted me as one of them. We are all very protective of each other down here. They all want to know who you are and what you are to me but they won't ask directly._ )~ He glanced back in the direction that the woman and her children had gone. ~( _Helga however is not quite as reserved as most of the rest of them down here_. )~

Monique looked around speculatively at the people then back at Lucas. ~( _You told me that there were several more like you in New York but, except for the Central Park Creature legend, no one has ever seen them. I wonder if they have some kind of hidden catacombs like this over there_. )~

Lucas shrugged. ~( _I do not know. Paris and these tunnels were very, very old when New York was only a small settlement in the New World. I doubt if there is anything like this over there. Mom has never mentioned anything about a catacombs in New York._ )~

After showing Monique a little more of this occupied section of the deepest catacombs they headed back up to his home for dinner. Pierre and Randy again insisted that Monique should stay with them until things could be worked out with her family. Later, after it had closed down for the night, Lucas took Monique on a private tour of the public part of the catacombs. She had been there once a few years ago with her family but this time she found the tour to be much more enjoyable (especially when Lucas kept stealing kisses during the tour). Though neither of them had yet used the word 'love', they both realized that that was what was happening between them.

~ x x x x x ~

The next morning Randy and Pierre arrived at the home of Monique's family. Once they had identified themselves they were eagerly invited into the home by a very puzzled family. It was pretty obvious to Randy that the whole family was currently under a lot of stress despite their attempt to put on their best face for their unexpected celebrity guests. Despite the family tension there were definite signs of being star struck in the eyes of both the mother and the little sister.

Once they were settled in the library Xavier spoke. ~( _We are honored by your unexpected visit but why_. )~

Pierre glanced at Randy then responded. ~( _Randy and I are actually here to speak with you about Monique_. )~

Though Randy could see a sad, kind of hopeful, hunger appear in the eyes of Brigitte and Gabrielle, the look in Xavier's eyes became just a bit colder and harder. Christophe just looked very confused. Xavier was the first to speak. ~( _Why would you be involved with my daughter?_ )~ The tone of his voice was just as hard and cold as the look in his eyes.

Pierre Looked at Monique's father in surprise. He was completely unprepared for the hostility he saw there. This was not at all what he had expected. A quick glance at Randy confirmed that she had already begun to withdraw within herself. She had a very gentle caring nature and had made an excellent wife, mother and business partner, but she had never handled overt hostility well. So it was now up to him to deal with this situation. He looked back at Xavier and responded. ~( _Monique came to our place looking for Lucas. She was very upset and told us that she had just had a terrible fight with her family. Randy and I came here this morning to see if we could possibly smooth things over between her and her family. _)~

Xavier's eyes narrowed suspiciously. ~( _If she was looking for that **thing**, why did she show up at your place?_ )~

Pierre replied a bit tensely. ~( _Because that is where **Lucas** happened to be at the time._ )~

All four of them showed surprise at that answer. Then Xavier shot back. ~( _You let that **thing** come into your home?_ )~

Pierre's face turned red as he fought to keep control of his temper. ~( **_Lucas_**_ is **not** a thing. He is a caring intelligent **person** and he is very worried about how upset Monique was yesterday._ )~

Xavier was turning almost as red as Pierre as he ground his words out through clenched jaw. ~( _That **thing** is not even human. It is a **monster** and has no business consorting with a normal person_. )~

Fists tightly clenched at his sides, Pierre fought the desire to throw a punch at this ignorant fool and glanced worriedly over at Randy. The glint of fury rising in her eyes confirmed his fears. The one thing that could override her usual reaction to hostility was the need to protect her family. If he didn't get her out of this house very soon, she just might attack this jerk before he did. Pierre looked back at Xavier matching his cold hard stare. ~( _It is obvious to me that we are wasting our time here_. )~ He took hold of Randy's arm. ~( _We have no desire to remain in this place any longer._ )~

As Randy and Pierre turned toward the door into the foyer, Pierre caught just a glimpse of the look of despair on the faces of the mother and little sister. Despite a slight resistance on Randy's part he led her to the front door and let themselves out. He knew full well that to do so without waiting to be escorted by their host was considered a deep insult to their hospitality. He figured that this type of insult was a lot more effective, and satisfying in the long run, than punching out that arrogant jerk

**__**Continued in Part 5**__**

* * *

><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


	5. Mother And Daughter Reunion

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Mother And Daughter Reunion<strong>

It took over a half-hour walking along the river, after leaving Monique's family, for Pierre to get his anger under control and calm down. Then almost another hour of strolling, mixed with hugs and kisses, before he had Randy's emotions calmed down. They finally arrived back at their home at about lunch time.

Lunch ended up being a quiet solemn affair. It seemed obvious to everyone else that the meeting with Monique's family had not gone well and no one was willing to broach the subject. After lunch they all retired to the parlor and Pierre did his best to explain to Monique what had happened with her parents without getting into the details of what had been said.

Monique looked around at the rest of them with tears forming in her eyes. ~( _What will I do now? Where will I go?_ )~

Randy reached over and placed her hand on Monique's forearm. The emotions from Monique were so strong that Randy had to resist the tendency to flinch at the force of them as they rushed over her like a tidal wave. She glanced over at her son and saw his reactions to Monique's emotions clearly displayed on his leonine face. She looked back at Monique, her face grim with resolve. "To begin with, there's no way we will let you go back to that horrible place." Randy held up her hand when Monique opened her mouth to speak then took a deep breath and finally smiled. "So it looks like you will be staying with us for a little while longer." As she watched Lucas slip his arm around Monique, Randy continued. "It looks to me like Lucas approves of the idea and we would all love to have you stay with us for a while."

Now Monique did break down in tears as she thanked them profusely for their kindness. Lucas hugged her close as he quietly assured her that he was very happy to have her staying with them. Lucie also assured her that it would be fun . . . like having a big sister around.

~ x x x x x ~

It had been nearly two weeks since Pierre and Randy's abortive attempt to effect a reconciliation with Monique's family. They had all treated her just like another member of the family with the exception of Lucas. The relationship between her and Lucas was much deeper and far more personal. There was no question that they had both fallen completely and helplessly in love with each other. Their youth only seemed to enhance the volatility of their feelings. Lucas and Monique had spent much of those two weeks exploring the strange and magical emotional bond that had formed between them.

Randy's good friend Supermodel Emily Hanson was in Paris for a major fashion show this week and had come by for a visit. Monique was amazed to learn that Emily was actually married to one of Lucas's leonine relatives in New York. Emily had spent the last couple of hours talking about the bond. She told them everything she knew about how it worked and what it was like living as the bonded mate of Devin Chandler-Wells. When she described her relationship with Devin her face seemed to shine with joy. She also bragged about her three boys that seemed to be growing up so fast.

Right before dinnertime Lucas got an odd faraway look on his face and five minutes later the front door chimes rang out.

Sophie answered the door to find a woman and a young teenage girl looking uncertainly back at her. ~( _Yes what can I do for you?_ )~

The woman responded. ~( _Please, we are looking for Randy or Pierre. We were hoping that they could tell us where we might be able to find my daughter._ )~

Sophie looked at them with her best haughty stare. ~( _And whom may I say is calling?_ )~

The woman swallowed the lump in her throat. ~( _My name is Brigitte and this is my youngest daughter Gabrielle_. )~

Sophie responded ~( _Wait here and I will see if one of them is available to speak to you_. )~

Sophie closed the door and turned to face Randy and Pierre who had come up behind her and stopped out of sight of the two standing outside. ~( _Should I send them away?_ )~ It was clear from the look on her face that she felt like doing just that.

Pierre responded. ~( _No Sophie, I think we will speak to them_. )~

After waiting a couple of minutes, Randy opened the door and faced the woman and girl beyond the door. ~( _What is it that you wish to see us about?_ )~ There was very little welcome in her eyes or voice. As she watched the woman trying to work up her nerve, she thought that they both reminded her of abused puppies she had seen once. Hoping for a pat on the head but warily prepared for a kick in the teeth. Randy felt her own feelings beginning to soften toward them.

Finally Brigitte spoke. ~( _Please, I beg of you. Do you know where I might be able to find my daughter? I do not want to cause her any problems._ )~ She put her arm around Gabrielle's shoulder and continued. ~( _I . . . We just miss her terribly and we only want to see her – find out if she is alright_. )~

Randy gazed at them for a moment then opened the door wider. ~( _Why don't you come in and we will discuss it._ )~ A bit tentatively, they both stepped into the home. Randy closed the front door. ~( _If you will come this way into our parlor, I think that we may be able to help you._ )~ Lucas had already reported on the distraught emotional state of the two visitors before Randy and Pierre had approached the front door. When Randy took Brigitte's elbow to guide her into the parlor the very raw emotions she felt from the Brigitte confirmed her belief that the woman was telling the truth.

As they crossed the entry to the parlor doorway Brigitte caught sight of and immediately recognized Emily Hanson sitting in a large sofa that was facing the door. Even at the age of forty-nine Emily was still the top grossing Supermodel in the business. The posters of her from twenty years ago still adorned the walls of teenage boys around the world. Brigitte paused feeling very unsure of herself and Randy gave her a little nudge to keep her moving. Gabrielle was now gazing at Emily in frank undiluted celebrity worship. They were both looking so hard at Emily while trying to not to stare that it took a few seconds before they noticed the other occupants of the room.

Finally Brigitte noticed Monique who was gazing warily back at her. And sitting next to Monique, on the same love seat, holding her hand was the same lion-man from two weeks ago. Brigitte felt like she was frozen in place, unable to move or react. A second later Gabrielle also noticed Monique and Lucas.

Gabrielle breathed out a soft sigh. ~( _Oh my, you are here?_ )~

Gabrielle's reaction seemed to break the spell holding Brigitte immobile. She took a couple of hesitant steps toward Monique while keeping a wary eye on Lucas. She swallowed twice then finally managed to speak. ~( _Monique, dear, I had to find you to be sure that you were alright._ )~ She paused, gathering her courage, then took another step closer to Monique and Lucas. ~( _And I wanted to tell you how badly I feel about what happened._ )~ She paused again turning toward Pierre and Randy. ~( _I also owe you both an apology for the way my husband spoke to you when you came to see us_. )~ She turned back to Monique. ~( _I wish there was some way that I could make it all up to you, but I just do not know how_. )~

Monique glanced over at Lucas as she felt his _encouragement_ flooding her over their bond. She took a deep breath and faced her mother. ~( _What about Father and Christophe?_ )~

The hopeful look on Brigitte's face fell and she sadly shook her head. ~( _I am afraid that your father is not willing to change his mind._ )~ She shrugged, shaking her head. ~( _Your brother seems to have sided with your father but I think that, underneath, your brother is unsure what to think._ )~ She hung her head speaking quietly. ~( _For the last two weeks I have felt like my heart has been cut out of me but your father refuses to budge._ )~ After a moment Brigitte seemed to pull herself a little bit straighter. ~( _Your father is in America negotiating on a new project and Christophe is in Italy participating on the Grand Prix race this weekend. Gabrielle and I took the opportunity to try to find you._ )~

During this time Gabrielle had moved up next to Brigitte and was openly staring at Lucas in unrestrained curiosity. Lucas smiled and slowly raised his free arm, holding it out to her. ~( _It is all right Gabrielle, you may touch if you wish. I am real_. )~

The sound of the lion-man's voice seemed to touch something primal deep inside Brigitte sending nearly erotic shivers down her spine. Her reaction left her momentarily stunned. She finally dragged her gaze away from the lion-man and looked over at her youngest daughter in surprise as Gabrielle timidly reached out to touch the lion-man's hand. Then feeling a bit bolder Gabrielle touched one of the claws with one finger then quickly pulled her hand back. Brigitte swallowed in a spurt of fear at Gabrielle's actions then almost jumped when the lion-man chuckled.

Lucas drew his hand back and dropped it into his lap. ~( _Yes, Gabrielle, they are as real and sharp as they appear_. )~

Randy broke the following stunned silence while gesturing to the long sofa beside Emily. ~( _Will you not have a seat and we can talk?_ )~

Gabrielle sat on the end of the sofa which put her next to Lucas. Brigitte sat between Gabrielle and Emily Hanson. Randy sat in the large overstuffed chair next to Emily which put her across from Monique and Lucas. Pierre took up position behind the chair resting one hand on Randy's shoulder. At that moment Sophie entered the parlor and asked Pierre if she should serve snacks and tea for everyone then, after the affirmative response from Randy, left to take care of it.

After a short period of uncomfortable silence Randy broke it with a few innocuous comments and questions.

~ o ~

It quickly became apparent that Brigitte's English was not very good and she was not comfortable using it. Like Monique, when she became excited or emotional Brigitte tended to slip over to French, so Emily switched completely over to French to make them both feel more comfortable. She had been working at perfecting her French ever since she had first started doing modeling gigs for Pierre and was almost as good at it as Randy had become. She thought her friend Randy's French was incredibly good considering she hadn't been able to speak a word of it when she married Pierre.

After a short amount of small talk just to try to get acquainted Brigitte became comfortable enough with them to speak more freely. She told them about the tension that was threatening to become a major rift in her family. That was one reason she had waited until her husband and son were both out of town to go looking for Monique. She wanted to avoid making the situation any worse than it already was. She loved her husband very much but he was a very stubborn man, especially when his pride came into play. Her son was very much like his father in that regard.

Brigitte had even begun to get more accustom to Lucas to the point where she was even referring to him by name. After a while Brigitte finally worked up the nerve to ask one of the questions that had been plaguing her since she first saw Lucas sitting in this parlor with her daughter. ~( _What I keep wondering is how in the world you became acquainted with Lucas_. )~ She looked at Pierre and Randy with open curiosity.

Lucas gave a half snort of a chuckle, Monique almost choked on the soda she was drinking, Emily laughed out loud, and Pierre gave a short bark of a laugh. Randy however just smiled. After the rest got themselves more or less under control, though Emily continued to snicker, Randy finally answered. ~( _Why I have known Lucas ever since the day I gave birth to him._ )~

This time Gabrielle choked on her soda while Brigitte's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she glanced back and forth between Lucas and Randy. Finally Brigitte got her reaction under control but she could think of nothing to say.

At this point Emily, who had spoken very little jumped in. ~( _If you think that is remarkable, I have had three sons like Lucas._ )~ As Brigitte stared open mouthed at her, Emily addressed Randy. ~( _Do you have the wedding pictures?_ )~

Randy started to get up as she replied. ~( _I believe I have them around here somewhere._ )~

Before she had gotten completely out of the chair Sophie entered the parlor carrying a magazine. ~( _I have the wedding album right here, Madam._ )~ As Randy reseated herself Sophie handed the magazine to her.

Randy leaned forward. ~( _I noticed all of the fashion magazines on your coffee table when we visited you two weeks ago so you may recognize this one._ )~ She set the magazine on the coffee table.

Almost immediately Brigitte recognized it. It was an old 2037 copy of the top fashion magazine of its time and it contained pictures of the most famous fashion show of the century. It was The Beauty and the Beast fashion show that Pierre had put on in Central Park on Halloween of that year. She was pretty sure she might still have her copy of it somewhere at home. Both Brigitte and Gabrielle exclaimed, "Mon Dieu !" simultaneously as the implications hit them.

Randy reached out and flipped the magazine open to the large double page picture in the center of the magazine as she spoke. ~( _That fashion show was much more than everyone, including me, realized at the time. The wedding scene at the end of the show was the real thing. That was when Emily and Devin were married for real._ )~

Emily reached out and pointed to the lion-man standing beside her in the picture. ~( _That is Devin, my husband and father of my three sons._ )~

Brigitte stared at Emily as understanding dawned. ~( _Those three times you took a long hiatus_. )~ Emily merely nodded her head in response.

Randy pointed to herself on the picture. ~( _That is me._ )~ Then she pointed to the lion-man that was standing beside her on the stage. ~( _That is Lucas's biological father. His name is William. We were very close for a short time but it just did not work out for us._ )~ She paused a moment then smiled. ~( _But I did come away from that with a very special son._ )~ A wistful look swiftly passed across her face.

Pierre gently squeezed Randy's shoulder as Emily took over speaking, in part to cover Randy's momentary pause. ~( _William is married now to a bio-geneticist of all things. She has been studying the genetics of William, Devin and the others as a kind of hobby. She has told me that except for one very peculiar genetic anomaly they are essentially human._ )~

Pierre spoke up at this point. ~( _Lucas was born shortly after Randy and I were married. Devin and William and the rest of those like them had become good friends so I knew where Lucas came from even before he was born_. )~

Gabrielle was fascinated by what she is hearing. She glanced quickly over at Monique and Lucas. ~( _So that means that they have no problems mating with a normal person._ )~ Then she blushed bright red at her bold question.

Brigitte also appeared startled by her daughter's question then snuck a quick peek at Lucas and Monique, who were sitting awfully close and still holding hands.

Emily giggled then responded with a very big grin. ~( _None so far_. )~

Already emboldened Gabrielle spoke again to her sister, a definite hint of devilment in her voice. ~( _And what about you and Lucas?_ )~

Now it was Monique's turn to blush bright red causing her mother's eyebrows to climb nearly into her hairline. Monique sputtered a bit then, pulling herself together, she held her head up defiantly to respond. ~( _Since we already seem to have bonded, I think there is a high probability that it will happen_. )~

Brigitte seemed to have slipped into a state too shocked to speak as she continued to stare at her daughter. Gabrielle blinked a couple of times in surprise. She had merely been teasing and had not expected such a straight forward answer from her older sister, much less that particular answer.

Finally Gabrielle pulled herself together as she latched on to one particular word and inquired about it. ~( _What do you mean 'bonded'?_ )~

Lucas took over at this point. ~( _Beside the obvious physical appearance, I, and the others like me, are empaths. An apparent side effect of being empathic is that when one of us finds our perfect other half, we not only fall in love, our souls become bonded together as well_. )~

Brigitte frowned, still too stunned to speak, as Gabrielle spoke again. ~( _I do not understand. What do you mean._ )~

Monique glanced back and forth between Gabrielle and her mother. She took a deep breath and jumped in. ~( _It means that Lucas and I can feel each other's emotions all the time no matter how much distance there is between us. It is almost like our souls were linked together. It means the we always know how the other really feels about us._ )~ Brigitte noticed that the look of happiness on her daughters face was almost blinding in it's intensity. ~(_ Every minute of every day I can feel the love for me in Lucas's heart. It is incredible. _)~ She shrugged with a bit of a snort. ~( _It also, I have discovered, means that it is impossible for one of us to lie to the other_. )~ Her smile softened as she looked over at Lucas. ~( _Even that is kind of nice because it means that I know his love for me is real_. )~ She shrugged and looked at her mother and Gabrielle. ~( _So, yes, I think marriage in the near future is very probable_. )~

Gabrielle was looking at Lucas and Monique in awe. This was like something right out of one of Brigit O'Donnell's 'Hidden Kingdom' books. Brigitte stared at her daughter, her mind chasing itself with feelings of _worry_, _uncertainty_, and _wonder_ all mixed together.

Emily jumped in at this point. ~( _It is quite true. Even now at this very instant I know exactly what Devin is feeling all the way over in New York._ )~ She broke into the soft 'Mona Lisa' smile that she was so well known for. ~( _And Devin has just become aware that I am currently thinking about him._ )~

For the next hour or so they talked about the bond and how it affected those involved. Emily did most of the explaining since she was the only one with long time real life experienced in the subject. Monique and Lucas were still learning about this phenomenon that tied their hearts together. As they talked Brigitte slowly began to truly understand the situation. Monique had become permanently linked soul-to-soul with Lucas and was apparently very happy about the situation. It took a little bit longer before Brigitte finally started to became resigned to the situation. She had also noticed that, as they continued to talk, she was even becoming comfortable in Lucas's presence.

Sophia came in and asked Pierre if their guests would be staying for dinner. Randy responded by inviting them to stay for dinner. Brigitte accepted. Emily was already staying for dinner since she would be staying for the night. Tomorrow she would be working a major gig at the Eiffel Tower. Since Pierre's company was the one involved, Randy would also be participating. A few minutes later Lucie arrived home bringing Jacques home with her. Introductions were exchanged and Lucie was soon telling everyone about their visit to the park.

A short time later everyone sat down for dinner in the elegant dining room. Jacques had heard all about what had happened with Monique and her family. He decided to start the conversation by broaching the subject. ~(_ I suppose that you found Lucas just a bit difficult to accept the first time you met him._ )~ He observed Brigitte and Gabrielle both looking down at their plates. ~( _I know that my relationship with Lucie was pretty tense for the first couple of days after I first met him._ )~ The mother and daughter both looked up at him. ~( _Lucie finally got me to meet and talk to Lucas and I soon discovered that I really like the guy. I suspect that you two have made the same discovery._ )~ He glanced first at Lucie then at Monique. ~( _I can tell you that Monique has missed you and is very happy that you came to see her._ )~ He reached over and took hold of Lucie's hand. ~( _This is a very nice family and I am very glad to know them. _)~

Randy glanced at Jacques, a look of deep appreciation in her eyes, then she spoke. ~( _And we have all enjoyed knowing you too, Jacques._ )~ She turned her attention to Brigitte and Gabrielle. ~( _I also look forward to getting to know you two better as well._ )~

Sophia had begun serving the food and Pierre jumped in at this point. ~( _We all feel that way. Now . . . enough of this deep emotional talk. Let us eat._ )~

Emily decided to change the subject. ~( _Monique, tomorrow Randy and I will be working a fashion shoot. Would you like to come along? I think you will enjoy it._ )~ She turned to Gabrielle and Brigitte. ~( _Both of you are also invited to come._ )~

Monique smiled timidly. ~( _I would love to._ )~

Gabrielle's eyes lit up as she turned to her mother. ~( _Oh can we Mother, Please._ )~

Brigitte glanced around at everyone, then a hint of enthusiasm invaded her eyes. ~( _I suppose that it will be alright._ )~

Emily glanced at Randy who smiled back at her in appreciation then continued. ~( _Very good. We can meet here at eleven tomorrow and all go over to the shoot together._ )~

The meal went by quickly as they talked about fashion modeling and the planned excursion into that world planned for tomorrow. Just before saying goodbye for the night Brigitte learned something that nearly turned her green with envy. When Gabrielle offered to send over some of Monique's clothes, Brigitte learned that, because Monique had arrived here with nothing but the clothes on her back, she now boasted a wardrobe containing nothing but 'Pierre of Paris' originals designed specifically for her.

**__**Continued in Part 6**__**

* * *

><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


	6. Separate Lives

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Separate Lives<strong>

**Fall 2060**

It had been six months since Brigitte had reconnected with her oldest daughter. Since then Brigitte and Gabrielle had taken every opportunity to visit Monique whenever Xavier and Christophe were out of town. Currently Christophe was racing in Monte Carlo and Xavier was in Japan finishing up his latest project. Brigitte was pretty sure that Xavier suspected that she had kept in touch with Monique but his stubborn pride wouldn't let him relent so he simply ignored his suspicions.

Brigitte dragged her attention back to the young couple standing before her. It was two hours after dark. Lucas and Monique were standing beside the River Seine with the colorful lights of the Eiffel Tower behind them. They were standing about ten meters from the spot where they had first met face to face. Lucas had said that this was the exact spot he was standing when he first became aware of Monique's presence.

Randy, Pierre, Lucie, Jacques, Brigitte and Gabrielle were all there. Also present were Emily Hanson, in town for a cosmetics gig, her favorite bodyguard Danny and a couple of retired model friends, Caitlin and Jessica, who both happened to be on vacation in France. Patricia was also present representing Lucas's biological father. She was in Paris for an international bio-genetics conference. This little gathering was taking place here and now because all those present just happened to be here and available at the same time. The whole thing had taken three days from Monique's original suggestion to today's little ceremony.

As the others in this informal gathering watched, Lucas and Monique exchanged their wedding vows there beside the River Seine. Although totally informal, almost spur-of-the-moment, Lucas and Monique had said that it was not really important how fancy it was. As far as they were concerned, they were already joined, heart, body and soul. They had been lovers for almost two weeks now. Today's little impromptu ceremony was merely a formality for their parents and friends.

Although Brigitte still felt that Monique was too young to be getting married, she knew that she really didn't have much say in the matter. Her daughter's destiny had been set the day that bond, they had told her about, had formed between them. At least she had come to believe that her daughter had definitely picked a good one despite his very unusual appearance. She was even feeling a hint of tears welling up in her eyes as she listened to the beautiful words that the two lovers were speaking to each other. For having been written in only one day, their vows were so profound and touched her so very deeply. Monique had told her that they had been easy to write because they had both simply wrote what they felt. She had said that one side effect of the bond was to teach you to be honest with yourself about your own feelings.

In the middle of the little ceremony, while speaking his vows, Lucas pulled up his hood, concealing his face, without skipping a beat. A few seconds later a darkened tour boat appeared coming up the river. Shortly after that a spotlight speared out from the boat and pinned the tiny wedding party in its glare. Lucas still continued reciting his vows without a break. After a few seconds the revealing light left their group in search of other lovers that could usually be found along the river at this time of night.

A few minutes later the little ceremony was over and the bride and groom kissed. Then the quiet was shattered by a powerful roar of triumph that echoed along that part of the river, startling several pairs of lovers as well as everyone on the romantic tour boat that had just recently passed by. Then with giggles and laughter the wedding party quickly left the river, headed back to the home of Pierre and Randy, before anyone in authority could come to investigate the source of that roar.

Back at their home Aurore and Sophie had managed to throw together a very nice little reception dinner for them.

As Brigitte was looking around at the happy partiers, she felt a momentary wave of sorrow that Xavier wasn't here. It was such a shame but even the idea of such a union would have set him off like small nuclear bomb, damaging the whole family in the resultant fallout. She sighed and returned her attention to the happy couple. Her mood immediately brightened.

The party finally broke up in the very early hours of the morning. The guests all headed to their homes and hotels. As Monique watched her mother and sister head out the door she felt a moment of regret about her father. After the last guests left, Lucas and Monique headed upstairs to the room they had been sharing for the last two weeks.

~ x x x x x ~

**Winter 2060**

It was a particularly beautiful and mild mid-December day and Monique had gone for a walk with Lucie along the Champ de Mars toward the Eiffel Tower. Monique was in a very good mood today. She and Lucas had just found out that she was pregnant. The two girls were excitedly discussing the upcoming event when Monique suddenly froze, the happy smile disappearing from her face.

Lucie paused, looking at her friend's face with concern. She looked in the direction of Monique's gaze. About twenty meters ahead of them she spotted Monique's mother on the arm of a distinguished looking man that she assumed must be her father. There was a look of surprise and uncertainty on the man's face as he stared back at them. Her mother also looked unsure as she looked first at Monique then at the man with her. For a few seconds they stared at each other then Xavier and Brigitte hesitantly started moving toward them. As Monique's parents approached Lucie took a step back trying to stay out of what would surely be a family matter.

They stood facing each other silently until the tension was becoming unbearable then Xavier broke the uncomfortable silence. ~( _Good day, Monique._ )~

Monique responded after a moment's pause. ~( _Good day, Father, Mother._ )~

Another pause then her father inquired. ~( _We have not seen you for a while. How have you been?_ )~

Monique responded. ~( _I have been okay. And you?_ )~

Xavier responded. ~( _We have been doing . . . well . . . What have you been doing with yourself lately?_ )~

Monique replied a bit more boldly. ~( _I have been taking courses on fashion design and marketing._ )~ The tightness in her chest was beginning to ease as she continued. ~(_ I have also been working part time for Pierre and Randy, learning about the business from the inside._ )~

Xavier relaxed a bit more. ~( _I am glad to hear that you are doing well._ )~

The tension was slowly leaching away and Monique was beginning to relax. ~( _I am beginning to make my way. Randy and Pierre have been very helpful._ )~ A hint of a smile crossed her face as she blithely continued speaking. ~( _And Lucas has been very supportive and encouraging through_ . . . )~ Her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying. She looked up with dismay as she saw her father's face suddenly close off.

Xavier stared at his daughter, as Brigitte and Lucie both looked on in dismay, then he exploded. ~( _How can you still associate yourself with that dangerous creature?_ )~

Monique was practically shivering with disappointment and fury. ~( _Lucas is not a thing or a creature. He is a very nice person and you have no right to say such terrible things about him._ )~

Xavier's eyes turned cold as he practically ground out his response. ~( _That **thing** is an inhuman monster and should be taken off the streets for the public's safety. No daughter of **mine** will have anything to do with that . . . **beast**._ )~

The following stunned silence seemed to stretch on forever then Monique broke into tears and ran, crying, away from them as Brigitte looked sadly after her daughters retreating back.

Lucie stared at Xavier in shock. She saw a look of sad regret momentarily flit across his face then his eyes hardened again. Then her own rage boiled up inside her and she lit into him with both barrels. Xavier looked at her in shocked surprise as she royally chewed him out over his narrow minded views and the callous way he had trampled all over his daughters feelings without even trying to understand what was right under his nose. After her tirade finally ran out of steam, Lucie turned her back on them and walked away with all the dignity that she could muster.

When Lucie arrived home a few minutes later she found Monique in Lucas's arms as he tried his best to console her. She looked into the pained eyes of her brother then, with a sigh, sat down beside them. ~( _It will be alright, my sister. We all love you and we will all be there for you._ )~

~ x x x x x ~

**Summer 2061**

For over a year Brigitte and Gabrielle had been working to try and shift Xavier's and Christophe's attitudes about Lucas but to no avail. Xavier would not budge. Christophe always sided with his father although he often seemed a bit unsure about his decision. Brigitte knew that although there were signs that her son's attitude had weakened, he would not change as long as his father held his ground. The one thing that worried her most was what might happen if either of them ever found out how close Monique and Lucas really were.

~ o ~

Gabrielle was away on a, three day, school field trip to the Normandy Beaches. Her history class was studying the Second World War this month.

That night in their shared hotel room the subject of the Lion-man of the River Seine came up and the girls were arguing about whether he might be real or not. Gabrielle was one of the only two that was arguing on the side of his existence.

Finally to support her point she told the skeptical girls a that she had actually seen the Lion-man. She told them that her sister had been struggling with a man that was trying to rape her when the actual Lion-man had showed up and driven the rapist off. She told them that the Lion-man had then escorted her sister safely home. Gabrielle then told them that she had actually caught a glimps of the Lion-man just before he left her sister at their front door so she knew that he was real.

She left out any mention of the current family strife over the incident. She also did not mention the fact that her sister was currently married to him and about to have their baby any time now.

~ o ~

Previous sonograms had shown that their child was female. Because this was Monique's first child and because she was still very young, Lucas had insisted that their baby girl should be born in a hospital. Monique had complained that Lucas would not be able to be there with her. Randy, Lucie and Pierre had all promised that they would be there for her when the time came. After much 'discussion' Monique finally gave in and reluctantly agreed to have the baby in the hospital.

The evening that her water broke, Randy and Pierre took her to the hospital. While Randy was getting Monique checked in, Pierre called Brigitte and let her know the baby was coming.

Brigitte had told Xavier that an old friend was having a baby and she was spending a couple of days with that friend. She neglected to tell him that the friend in question was his eldest daughter. She arrived at the hospital two hours after Monique had arrived. She joined Randy and Pierre in the maternity ward and for the next eight hours they helped and encouraged Monique through her first experience with labor.

Finally around seven in the morning things suddenly began developing very quickly. As many grandfathers before him, Pierre nervously paced through the final step in the birth of a new grandchild. In the delivery room, Randy held her left hand and Brigitte held her right hand as together they coached her through the same process that they had themselves been through before. Together they urged her to breathe and to push at the appropriate times. Then with one final push and a healthy squall of protest, little Antoinette was born into the world. The new baby girl was eight pounds six ounces of very alert blue eyed living doll. The nursing staff quickly and efficiently cleaned up the newborn infant and placed her in her mother's arms.

Monique's eyes teared up as the nurse placed her new daughter in her arms. Somewhere not too far away, Monique could feel Lucas's _joyous_ emotional reaction to her equally _happy_ emotions and in their joined hearts they reveled in their shared _joy_ and _love_. At the same time, the hearts of both new grandmothers were also overflowing with happy emotions as they both gazed at their granddaughter cradled protectively in Monique's arms.

~ o ~

Christophe was in America for the week participating in a major road race so Xavier had the next two days entirely to himself. There were times like this, when he was completely on his own, that he wondered how things had gone so wrong. He knew that Brigitte was unhappy about the way things were and he suspected that she had secretly kept in touch with Monique. As much as he missed his oldest daughter his pride would not let him back down. Also somewhere in the back of his mind was the unspoken fear that Monique was closer to that creature than anyone knew. He knew that Brigitte was desperately trying to hold the rest of their family together and for her sake he chose to ignore his suspicions.

~ x x x x x ~

**Fall 2063**

It had been a little over three and a half years since that fateful day when Monique had first encountered Lucas and her life had changed forever. In a few weeks it would be her twenty-second birthday. She had a very good paying job working in merchandising at Pierre of Paris House of Fashion. Her husband, Lucas, worked unseen as a part time fashion designer for the same company. In the last year, six of Lucas's designs had appeared at major events on very famous people.

'L'homme-lion des bords de Seine' still occasionally haunted the river after dark but now-a-days he was usually accompanied by a petite pretty light brown haired woman. On two recent occasions there had also been a tiny blond haired blue eyed toddler with them. The last few months however his appearances had been far less frequent.

Lucas and Monique were still living in Pierre and Randy's place but they were hoping to find a place of their own before the next year was out. The difficulty was finding a place that met their very specific criteria. It had to be close to their current home, it had to afford them the necessary privacy, and the new place had to be able to have easy access to the catacombs beneath Paris. Meanwhile Randy was quite happy to have them living in her home for as long as possible.

Monique was happily married with a beautiful blond haired blue eyed two year old daughter and another child on the way. The last sonogram had confirmed that this one would be a boy and he was due in three more weeks. Monique however was feeling like a beached whale and was anxious for it to finally be over. Other than her size the thing she disliked most about her condition was her inability to go on those long walks after dark along the Seine with Lucas. Since this one was a boy they knew that the baby would look like Lucas so it would be necessary that he be born at home. A doctor that was a very close family friend and already aware of Lucas, since he had delivered him, had been selected to handle this delivery.

Xavier was in South America on his latest construction project and Christophe had gone off to the South of France with several of his buddies on a tour of the wine country. Brigitte and Gabrielle were both over visiting. Along with Randy and Lucie they were all down on the floor playing with little Antoinette. The toddler was having a wonderful time being spoiled by the four women until it was her bed time.

Brigitte and Gabrielle had just arrived home that evening when her phone rang. It was Randy informing her that Monique had just gone into labor and according to the doctor it was progressing very rapidly. They both immediately turned around and headed back to Randy's place as fast as they could.

Randy met them at the door and escorted them upstairs to Lucas and Monique's room. They were greeted by the sight of Monique on the bed, knees up and the doctor in position ready to receive the newborn that was about to arrive. Lucas was sitting in the bed behind her, his arms around her, her back resting against his chest. Monique's face was screwed up in a look of extreme effort as a half groan escaped from her lips. The doctor and Lucas were both speaking words of reassurance to her. Then her face relaxed and her head fell back against Lucas's chest as she panted heavily.

The doctor spoke authoritively. ~( _This is it Monique. You're doing just fine. Now on the next one I want you to push for all you're worth._ )~

Lucas spoke next. ~( _you can do it my love. You have already been through this once, you know what to do_. )~

Then the next contraction hit and she pushed. A moment later the room was filled with the healthy cry of Monique's newborn son. After quickly cleaning him up, the doctor placed the newborn in his mother's arms and Lucas wrapped his arms protectively around them both. Brigitte looked into the kittenish face of the tiny infant and felt her heart melt into a warm puddle. He was so adorably charming as he yawned widely and snuggled deeper into his mother's embrace.

A slow soft smile spread across his face as Lucas welcomed his new son. ~( _Hello Nicolas and welcome home_. )~

Later as Brigitte was holding her new grandson while her exhausted daughter and son-in-law caught a little sleep, she thought about her own family and felt a small wave of sadness. It was such a shame that her husband's attitudes were causing him to miss so many important events in his oldest daughter's life. She looked back down into the face of her grandson and the sadness quickly dissolved into a swell of love and a hint of hope. ~( _Maybe someday_. )~ She glanced over at her other daughter who was dozing on the sofa after coming down from the high of the excitement over the birth of her new nephew. ~( _Maybe someday_. )~

~ x x x x x ~

**Spring 2064**

Monique's father and brother were away on a fifteen month project in San Francisco and her mother was taking advantage of their absence to spend time with Lucas and Monique and her two most unusual grandchildren. Lucas and Monique's three year old daughter Antoinette was fidgeting restlessly on the floor in front of them and playing with her toy cars. Other little girls played with dolls but little Antoinette was only interested in a toy if it had four wheels attached. Brigitte remarked that she was so much like Christophe had been at that age. Monique's mother was holding her one year old grandson, Nicolas, and smiling down at his leonine face, the spitting image of his father. It seemed like Brigitte could never get enough of ether of her very special grandchildren.

As she had so many times before over the last four years, Brigitte thought about the gulf that existed between Monique and Xavier over Lucas with a touch of sorrow. The worst part was that it was nothing compared to how bad it would become if he ever found out the true nature of Monique's relationship with Lucas. It was a perilous tightrope that Brigitte walked between the two estranged halves of her imperfect family.

Nicolas began to get a little bit fussy in her arms. Brigitte sighed, knowing it was her own melancholy that he was reacting to, and spoke quietly to him as she cuddled him closer. ~( _I apologize little one._ )~ She deliberately forced her worries into the background and concentrated on how wonderful her little grandson was. ~( _This is not your problem. Everything is just fine_. )~

Nicolas quickly responded to her changing emotions and smiled. Brigitte could never feel depressed when confronted by that smile and she smiled back at her unique grandson.

~ x x x x x ~

**Spring 2066**

It was late spring and Xavier was in the shopping mall with his family. They had met up with Christophe and his young pregnant wife, Christine, in one of the many restaurants scattered throughout the mall. As they were waiting for their food to arrive he was looking out the window that overlooked the main courtyard of the mall. They had been discussing the wide and interesting variety of people that they could see passing by outside the restaurant.

Xavier paused in surprise when he spotted Monique halfway across the courtyard. She was carrying a large shopping bag in one hand. But what really caught his attention was that holding her other hand was a small five year old girl that looked very much like Monique had at that age but with blond hair. He was surprised at the strength of the emotions that he felt welling up within him as he stared at them. A second later a group of teens strolled past the window blocking his view and when they had passed Monique was nowhere in sight. She and the little girl had disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Xavier drew a startled breath when Brigitte touched his forearm, drawing him abruptly back to his family. There was a hint of concern in his wife's eyes. ~( _Xavier . . . is something wrong?_ )~

He looked at his wife. ~( _What?_ )~

Brigitte's brows furrowed. ~( _You seemed to just drift off there right in the middle of what you were saying_. )~

Xavier glanced around at the rest of his family. All of them were looking back at him with a hint of concern in their faces. He shook his head. ~( _I was just thinking. It was nothing important . . . Now what was I saying?_ )~

Though they were unsure about his half hearted attempts to reassure them that nothing was wrong, they let it drop and returned to their previous conversation. All through the rest of the dinner his mind kept wandering back to what he had seen and he found himself wondering what all he had missed in the last six years. Deep inside, the tiny nuggets of doubt that had planted themselves in his soul had begun to grow ever so slowly.

That night, as he had many times before, Xavier found himself wondering why something as inconsequential as a disagreement over the nature of that lion-man creature could have caused such a deep rift between himself and his oldest daughter. Even his own family was unwilling to talk about it. As he drifted off to sleep, his mind kept wandering back to that little girl he had seen holding the hand of his older daughter.

**__**Continued in Part 7**__**

* * *

><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


	7. The Day Everything Changed

** Lucas**  
><em><strong>L'homme-Lion de Paris<strong>  
>By Thomas Mc<em>**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Day Everything Changed<strong>**

**January 2067**

It was just about midnight and all throughout France, just as throughout the rest of the world, entire households were gathered before their video screens. They were all watching the live world broadcast of the opening addresses of the historic United Nations Conference on World Terrorism in New York. Most of the world leaders were present on the floor of the U.N. General Assembly Chamber for this event. This was an event of major worldwide significance and no one wanted to miss it if they could help it.

In the de la Becque home the entire household was gathered before the large video screen in the entertainment room. Randy, Pierre and Sophie were seated on the sofa and Aurore was leaning against the back of the sofa. Lucas and Monique, their children safely tucked into a guest bedroom, were sitting cuddled together on the floor in front of the sofa. They had come over for the evening to watch the event with the rest of the family.

Three kilometers away in the LeBeau home, another family was gathered before another large video screen in their family room, for the same purpose. Xavier, Brigitte, and Gabrielle sat together in the sofa. Beside them in the loveseat sat Christophe and Christine, his wife of two years. Their two month old baby boy was held protectively in his mother's arms as he nursed. They had come over for the evening to watch the event with the rest of the family.

Gabrielle glanced over at Christophe and Christine. Their five year courtship had been a rollercoaster on-again-off-again affair but since their marriage they had been very happy. One of the things that no one else in the family knew was that Monique had been at their wedding. Gabrielle had spotted her half hidden among the guests at the back of the church on the bride's side. At the reception afterward Gabrielle searched for her sister but she had already left.

Christophe had noticed Gabrielle watching him and opened his mouth to ask about it when everyone's attention was drawn back to the screen as the commentator announced that the President of the United States was approaching the podium. The American President stepped up to be greeted by the sound of loud applause and held up his hands for their attention. As the noise died down the President began to speak. He hadn't gotten more than five words out when there was the sound of someone yelling in the background. The video announcer exclaimed, "**SACRÉ BLEU !** " They all watched the video in stunned silence as the view swung down towards the center of the General Assembly chamber and zoomed in on a figure standing up in the middle of the audience holding up an unknown device. All five of them stared wide eyed as a figure suddenly appeared, swinging in from the right side of the screen and collided with the screaming man Together the two of them tumbled across the floor. Clearly heard over the hubbub were the words. "**BOMB . . . EMPIRE STATE . . . RADIO TRIGGER**!"

Xavier and his family stared mesmerized as the two figures continued to struggle on the floor of the General Assembly. Then a third man ran up from the left side of the screen and started shooting into the two that were struggling on the floor as the other delegates pulled back from the confrontation. Moments later some United Nations security guards closed in and shot the man with the gun. Just at that moment there were more shots and the image jumped to a view of the podium where the American President was being hustled over toward the far right exit. A man could be seen lying on the podium floor in a pool of blood and there were several people struggling on the floor just in front of the podium. The announcer cried out, ~( **_They have shot the American President_**. )~ Just as the President and his guards reached the exit, the image on the video screen jumped again to a view of the center of the room as security people could be seen loading one of the three downed figures onto a stretcher as the announcer droned on. ~( _They are now loading the one that stopped the terrorist bomber onto a . . . **What in the name of God** _. . . )~ The camera zoomed in for a close-up of the figure they had placed on the stretcher.

Everyone in the room gasped in surprise and amazement as the figure's unique leonine features became clearly visible along with the blood stains slowly spreading across his chest beneath his clawed hands. Xavier was stunned. He looked just like the lion-man that Monique had brought into their house over six years ago.

At about that same moment Gabrielle pointed at the image. ~( _He looks just like Lucas_. )~ Gabrielle glanced over at Brigitte who continued to stare at the screen in shock. Gabrielle looked back at the screen, shaking her head, and continued under her breath. ~( _But which one of them is he?_ )~ Only Christophe overheard her question and she was unaware of the surprised look he gave her.

Sometime around three in the morning when it became evident that there was nothing new happening anytime soon, they all finally went to bed.

~ o ~

Back in the de la Becque home Pierre, Randy, Lucas, Monique, Aurore and Sophie all looked on in stunned disbelief as they watched a severely wounded, or possibly dead, lion-man being carried out of the United Nations General Assembly on a live worldwide broadcast. None of them recognized him from any of the magazine pictures and they were soon wondering which member of the family he was.

Monique turned to Lucas and was enclosed in his arms. ~( _Oh, Lucas, what will happen to your family, now that everyone knows that they are real?_ )~ She looked up into his eyes. ~( _And what about us? People will now suspect that you are real too. What if they come looking for you?_ )~

Lucas held her close. ~( _I have been around for a while and no one has caught me yet. If it gets too dangerous for me and our son here then we will disappear into the deeper catacombs. You remember where those others you met live. No one will ever find us there. For now at least I think that we are safe._ )~

The next few hours were spent watching the news coverage and discussing the possible ramifications of such a public exposure for the other lion-men in New York. They also speculated on who the one they had seen might have been. Eventually it was announced that the Creature of Central Park was alive and in stable condition. After that they all went to bed.

~ x x x x x ~

The next afternoon all of Paris, including the de la Becque household and the LeBeau household, was glued to their video sets following the latest news developments about what had been happening in New York.

Ten minutes earlier the newscasters had reported the rumor that the President's Science Advisor was trying to have the lion-man from the United Nations incident transferred to a secret government facility to be studied and dissected. Since then a group of talking heads had been giving their opinions on this latest development.

One of the commentators, Xavier considered him to be a know-it-all blow-hard, was currently going on about how all this 'it is a person' nonsense was just a lot of muddle-headed foolishness. He was claiming that the Whitehouse Science Advisor was the only one thinking straight. He was right that the creature should be taken to a secure government facility where it could be safely studied. They needed to find out what that creature was and where it came from.

As Xavier listened to this he was getting more incensed at that idiot commentator. He wondered how that fool continued spouting off such nonsense about the lion-man who had just saved the lives of millions of people as well as most of the leaders of the free world. As he continued his, increasingly agitated, grumbling about that speaker, he became aware of a strange silence from his family. He glanced over at the surprised looks on the faces of the rest of his family.

Then it hit him. All of his own words were being echoed back at him by that annoying commentator. His face went pale as all of the air in the room seemed to abandon him. He felt like he had been kicked in the solar-plexus as he really heard how he must have sounded.

As he fought to regain his equilibrium, he glanced ashamedly over at his family. Brigitte was gazing back with deep concern in her eyes. Gabrielle had a look of smug self-satisfaction on her face that seemed to say that Monique had been right, he had been dead wrong, and they all knew it. Christophe had a look that combined confusion and shame in equal measure.

Xavier hung his head in his hands as his own feelings of shame and humiliation rose up to engulf him. What had he done? Six and a half years and a granddaughter lost to his own stubborn foolishness. How was he ever going to be able to make it up to his family and his oldest daughter? Was his granddaughter forever lost to him? Would he ever be able to make it right again?

He was startled out of the descending emotional spiral that he was on when Brigitte unexpectedly settled herself into his lap and placed her arms around his shoulders. Ignoring the surprised looks on everyone else's faces she spoke softly to her husband. ~( _Everything will be alright, Xavier_. )~ She kissed him lightly on his forehead. ~( _It is not yet too late to make things right again_. )~

Xavier looked up, uncertainly hopeful, into his wife's sympathetic eyes. ~( _Do you really think so?_ )~

Brigitte nodded. ~( _I know so. She misses you as much as you miss her_. )~

Xavier sighed deeply as he rested his forehead against his wife's forehead. He wasn't sure he believed it but he clung to her reassurance like a drowning man clings to a floating piece of driftwood.

The video had been showing scenes of the crowd that had grown around the outside of the hospital as the commentators continued to express their views. A sudden increase in the excitement of the crowd on the video screen broke the frozen tableau in Xavier's home and drew everyone's attention back to what was happening on the screen. They were all riveted by the image of two lion-men and four very beautiful women of various ages making their way through the crowd toward the hospital. Xavier was stunned by the revelations over the relationships within that group as a result of the statements made by three of the women. The two oldest women were 'married' to the two lion-men and the younger of the two was the 'mother' of that lion-man in the hospital. One of the younger women was 'engaged' to the hospitalized lion-man and the fourth young woman was his 'sister'.

At that point Gabrielle blurted out. ~( _That means that it was Alexander that was shot._ )~

Xavier glanced over at his daughter in surprise as he felt like his head was spinning with all the incredible things he was learning. There were several of the lion-men living in New York. They were married to normal human women and having children by them? Gabrielle knew their names?

After the small party disappeared into the hospital, Xavier's attention took in the rest of his family. Christophe and Christine were still staring at the screen in disbelief. Brigitte and Gabrielle were looking at each other uncertainly but there was also a hint of acknowledgement between them. They both seemed to know more about what was happening than the rest of them.

Xavier was still trying to make sense out of what was happening and the rest of his family was still watching the screen in stunned fascination when they announced that a Presidential press conference was about to start. The scene shifted to the inside of a hospital room. Everyone was amazed to see the President of the United States in the same room with three lion-men and their families. Several jaws would have hit the floor if they had not been attached.

One thought that flitted through Xavier's mind was that Alexander appeared to be in pretty good shape for someone that had been shot multiple times just last night. Those lion-men must be very tough.

Once the introductions were finished the press was immediately asking about the lion-men and the revelations were coming faster than Xavier could assimilate them. The First Lady's assertion that she might welcome a relationship between her daughter and a lion-man hit Xavier like a brick between the eyes. He found himself replaying his last encounters with Monique and one question started playing through his head. Had Monique been closer friends with that lion-man she had tried to introduce to them than he had realized? Was that why the rift with his daughter had been so wide?

When the extent of Alexander's paralysis caused by his wounds was mentioned it brought a gasp from everyone, including Xavier.

As the interview came to a close Brigitte spoke up. ~( _The one named William is also the biological father of Lucas. That makes Alexander half-brother to Lucas._ )~ Xavier looked in surprise at Brigitte's worried frown. She continued speaking as though she needed to get it out before she lost her nerve. ~( _And, for the record, Randy Weston de la Becque is Lucas's biological mother._ )~ Then her voice seemed to give out as she appeared to lose her nerve.

Xavier realized that this was why Lucas had been at the de la Becque home that morning that Monique had left. He looked up into his wife's worried eyes. "Monique . . . Lucas?" It still had been hard for him to say the lion-man's name.

Brigitte took a deep breath as everyone was now focused on her but it was Gabrielle that responded. ~( _Monique and Lucas are married and have two children_. )~

Xavier looked at his wife, stunned, as he thought back to the little girl he had seen with Monique that day in the shopping mall. ~( _Two children?_ )~

Brigitte answered a bit timidly her forehead creased with worry. ~( _They have a five year old girl that looks as normal as you or me._ )~ Here she paused uncertainly. ~( _And they have a three year old boy that looks just like Lucas_. )~

Again Xavier felt like the breath had been knocked out of him as he contemplated these new revelations. He tightened his arms around Brigitte as a kind of anchor against the storms that raged within his mind and his heart. The comments coming from the reporters over the news conference went unheeded as everyone's attention was riveted on Xavier and Brigitte.

~ o ~

In the de la Becque home they had watched the Presidential news conference in silence, hanging on every word. Once it was over they all stared at each other in silence as they each tried to absorb the ramifications of what they had seen.

Pierre was the first to speak. ~( _That has done it. As they say, 'The cat is out of the bag', if you will pardon the expression, and the whole world now knows of your existence. Only time will tell how that will affect your lives._ )~ He paused a moment in thought. ~( _At least the American President has made it clear that in America your family is accepted as citizens like anyone else. That is good_. )~

Their attention was again drawn to the Video when the mayor of Paris made a big deal of announcing that they had their own Lion-man living right here in Paris. He pointed out that most Parisians had heard of 'L'homme-lion des bords de Seine' and he would be proud to welcome him among the citizenry of Paris.

Monique nudged Lucas with a grin. ~( _He is talking about you._ )~

Pierre chimed in. ~( _It looks like you won't have to go into hiding after all_. )~

~ o ~

That evening as Xavier came to bed he looked uncertainly into his wife's eyes. ~( _Is there a chance that I can still make it right? Is it not yet too late for me?_ )~

Brigitte took his hand. ~( _Monique misses you and still cares about you. It is not too late. Tomorrow morning I will call and see if we can go over to their place to see them._ )~

~ x x x x x ~

It was about an hour after the surprising and enigmatic early morning phone call from Brigitte, asking to come over, that the door chimes sounded. Pierre opened the door and was surprised to see Xavier as well as Brigitte and Gabrielle standing there. After a moment's pause he welcomed them into his home. Then he led them into the family room where Monique and Lucas were waiting. Everything seemed to freeze as Xavier and a surprised Monique stared at each other across the room. Lucas squeezed her hand and she glanced momentarily at him. She looked back at Xavier then stood up. Lucas followed suit and stood protectively beside her but he was projecting _encouragement_ and _reassurance_ to her over the bond. He seemed to be urging her to make the first move.

Xavier was full of doubt and uncertainty. Would his daughter even speak to him? The sight of his daughter sitting there next to the lion-man was a bit of a jolt, though he should not have been surprised, and made the doubt in him even stronger. Then they stood and he couldn't miss the very protective stance that the lion-man took beside his daughter or the way they held each other's hands.

Monique released Lucas's hand and took a hesitant step forward. ~( _Father_ )~ Her tone was neutral as she spoke. Six years of estrangement had left her leery and distant where her father was concerned.

Xavier blinked. He looked down. There had been no welcome in his daughter's eyes or her voice. He hesitated, uncertainty rising up within him. Was it too late after all? He felt Brigitte's hand steal into his and he glanced over at the encouraging smile that she gave him.

Taking courage from the look his wife gave him, he again faced his daughter. ~( _Monique . . . I . . . I am so sorry._ )~ He took another hesitant step toward her. ~( _Can you ever forgive a stubborn old fool_. )~ He glanced over at Lucas then back at Monique. ~( _I have been so wrong about so many things_. )~ He turned his gaze on the lion-man reminding himself that his name was Lucas. ~( _I owe you an apology as well, Lucas. I have said some awful things about you. But after what has happened the last two days and hearing my own words parroted back at me by some of those fools on the video, I realized how wrong I have been._ )~ He glanced over at Brigitte who had just squeezed his hand then turned back to focus on Lucas. ~( _I don't deserve it but I ask for your forgiveness as well. If not for me, then for my wife's sake and for my daughter._ )~ He glanced uncertainly between Monique and Lucas.

Monique took two more hesitant steps toward her father and gazed into his eyes looking for the truth of his words in them. She saw no deception in her father's eyes and Lucas was projecting _happiness_ and _acceptance_ over the bond letting her know that her father was being honest in his feelings and his words. Then Lucas was echoing her father's emotions to her as well as projecting his own _love_ to her. The self-protective wall, she had erected around her heart, melted.

Tears began welling up as she responded. ~( _I forgive you Papa._ )~

Encouraged by the sound of her soft voice Xavier took a last step toward her and, barely daring to hope, held out his arms. Monique hesitated but a moment then as the moisture in her eyes increased, she stepped into his tentative embrace.

She tightened her arms around her father. ~( _I forgive you Papa._ )~ Monique repeated as tears began to flow in earnest. Xavier's and Brigitte's eyes also began to mist up.

After a few seconds Lucas stepped up and held out his hand. ~( _And you may have my forgiveness as well._ )~

Xavier paused a moment then he reached out and took Lucas's extended hand. ~( _Thank you._ )~

Very soon there wasn't a dry eye in the room. It took several minutes before the emotional storm that filled the room finally subsided.

Once everything had calmed down Monique again became a bit uncertain then she timidly looked into her father's eyes. This could make or break the, still fragile, truce that had been declared between them. ~( _Papa, would you like to meet your grandchildren?_ )~

Xavier smiled at her as he responded. ~( _Yes, I would like to meet them if I may_. )~

Heartened by her father's positive reaction she smiled back. ~( _I will be just a minute_. )~ Then she hurried out of the room and up the stairs.

Xavier glanced nervously at Brigitte and Gabrielle as they waited for Monique to return. Then he glanced over at Lucas who was looking back at him. Brigitte and Gabrielle had both already told him what his grandson looked like. He just hoped he didn't mess up when he got his first look at his grandson. He looked again at Brigitte and she squeezed his hand while giving him a reassuring smile. Just when he thought he couldn't stand the tension any more, Monique returned with the two children in tow and proceeded to introduce them. ~( _This is your granddaughter, Antoinette, and your grandson, Nicolas._ )~

Xavier was immediately captivated by Antoinette, as he expected to be, but to his surprise, he was also totally charmed by his grandson. They were both so very adorable and all he wanted to do was welcome them into his arms. For the second time in a short time there was again not a dry eye in the room.

After a few minutes Xavier took Monique's hand. ~( _Monique, Christophe and Christine could not come with us today. They had other obligations. But they both wanted me to ask you if it would be alright if they came to see you and Lucas next week._ )~ He glanced down at the two toddlers. ~( _I think that honestly part of the delay is to give Christine time to work up the nerve to face Lucas but they really do want to see you both._ )~

Lucas glanced at Monique then responded. ~( _Tell them thay we would be happy to see them any time they want to visit._ )~

Xavier responded. ~( _Thank-you, Lucas_. )~

Soon Xavier and Lucas were side by side on the floor playing with the two children. Great strides had been made this emotion filled morning toward healing the six year old rift and a broken family was finally reunited.

**_The End_**

* * *

><p><em>'<em>**_Beauty and the Beast_**_' __and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given._


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